Transported, Destination: Namimori
by queenfirst
Summary: *WARNING: READ AT OWN RISK. But srsly, I wrote this when I was 13. Ew.* Abandoned. But who knows if I'll make a comeback?
1. Enter: OC

**Disclaimer in profile.

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Chapter 1

_Enter: OCs_

Korin Yuri chose not to believe in witches. She had abandoned all beliefs in magical and unrealistic beings, so why did one appear out of nowhere? Oh, right. It was a Monday, and Monday was her least favorable day of the week.

Her dog had passed away on a Monday. Her grandfather had died on a Monday. She was suspended on a Monday. She broke her ankle on a Monday. The list went on and on, its length possibly rivaling with the Great Wall of China's.

And finally, her recent Monday Mishap: she and her best friend Nikoru were transported to a nonexistent anime world. Well, it was _supposed_ to be nonexistent. Maybe she should have taken Nikoru's offer and gone to the park to get some fresh air, but of course, she was too lazy, and she found an interesting fanfic story, too!

It all started with a mild conversation that ended up turning into something else.

"Hey," Yuri spoke up, her eyes glued to the screen of a laptop. She and Nikoru were currently in the former's bedroom, wasting time by reading manga or fanfiction.

Nikoru lowered to book she was reading and turned to her bed, where Yuri was currently lying on. "Yeah?"

Yuri turned to Nikoru. "Why are you re-reading KHR?" she inquired, brow scrunched up in confusion. "We've already seen all the latest episodes, and I know you've read the whole series so far. So, why?"

"I'm re-reading it because there's nothing else to do." Nikoru pulled a face, and sighed, wondering what Yuri was doing.

"I'm reading this awesome fanfic!" the younger girl spoke excitedly. "It's where Tsuna feels sorry for killing Byakuran, even though he had no regrets in the manga since that white-haired pedo did try to take over the world or something like that," she finished lamely and stared pointedly at Nikoru. Yuri never liked spoilers, and Nikoru - who couldn't contain her fangirl-ness - began blabbing non-stop.

"True…" agreed Nikoru. "Though once upon a Kokuyo Arc, didn't Mukuro want to take over the world, too? He killed many people, and tried to possess Tsuna so that he could control the Vongola. He also-"

Yuri cut her off. "Yeah, whatever," she dismissed airily. "You don't have to give me a recount of Mukuro's evil deeds." She rolled her eyes.

"Okay…" Nikoru pouted.

"Besides, Mukuro accomplished many good deeds as well! Like…like saving Nagi from her death, and sacrificing himself to Vindicare prison while Ken and Chikusa escaped. And anyway, didn't Mukuro kill those people because they were conducting painful experiments on him and other children?" the girl pointed out as she tried to stick up for the pineapple-haired illusionist.

"I guess," allowed Nikoru, though she did not really care. "Xanxus as well."

"You know if you take the X's out of 'Xanxus', then it becomes 'anus'." Yuri smirked at the dirty joke. "Right. What about Anus- uh, Xanxus?"

Nikoru chose to ignore Yuri's perverted attitude. "Xanxus was the antagonist, too, yet Tsuna didn't kill him." She paused. "He kidnapped Vongola Ninth, stole the Vongola Rings, and started a war within the Vongola." She had a thoughtful expression on.

"Yeah, he did all that to become Vongola Tenth; but in the end, Tsuna won!" Yuri threw her head back and laughed sardonically. "That's all the bad things Mukuro and Xanxus did, but what about Byakuran? What did he do?" She attempted to recall everything the marshmallow-loving Boss did.

"Byakuran…"

"There's too many to name," both girls concluded after five minutes, deadpan.

Yuri laughed boisterously whilst Nikoru chuckled. After the laughter settled into grins and amused smiles, Yuri thought for awhile.

"Hey, what would you do if you could travel to the KHR world?" she asked casually yet curiously, being the random person she was.

Nikoru cocked her head to the side quizzically, but decided to play along. "Let's see," she began after a moment of pondering. "I would-" Although, once more, she was cut off.

"Would you like to?" a soothing voice asked.

Nikoru was rendered speechless at sudden third voice that she didn't register the question quite yet. Yuri, however, pondered on what the voice meant.

Her musings were interrupted when a woman suddenly appeared. There wasn't any noise, no shuffling of feet, no magical wardrobe, nothing that proved how she entered the bedroom. Then again, there was the door…

The woman looked incredibly young, Yuri observed, maybe nineteen? Eighteen?

"Who are you?" Yuri asked suspiciously.

The beautiful being smiled and her teal eyes danced with laughter. "Would you like to go to the world of Katekyoushi Hitman Reborn?" the goddess clarified patiently. Her head tilted slightly, making her shiny white hair tied into a ponytail shift a bit.

"How?" Both of Yuri's eyebrows shot up, incredulous. "Isn't it fictional?"

"Yes, it is," the mysterious beauty calmly answered. "But I have the power to make such worlds become reality, for I am a witch," the 'witch' smiled warmly. "My name is Fuyoshitai Majo, pleased to meet you." Her head inched forward as a small bow.

"A witch?" Nikoru piped up, overcoming her initial shock. "Aren't witches meant to be evil?"

Majo grinned, her articulate façade diminishing. "No, no. Those witches are from fictional stories, quite stereotypical if you ask me."

"You grant wishes?" Yuri questioned hurriedly, eyes lighting up with expectation. Her demeanour was similar to a child waiting to see if they received the present they wished for.

Nikoru didn't doubt Majo was a witch - the signs were quite clear. Her bedroom door wasn't opened, so Majo must have entered through another way. Nikoru's window was locked firmly in place, so that theory was out. Also, Majo didn't appear as if she was lying; when she spoke of being a magical being, her eyes were firm and unwavering. All signs pointed to her telling the absolute truth.

Yuri's eyes flickered over to Nikoru for a short moment. Her friend was staring at the carpeted floor, lost in thought. Yuri figured that she was thinking about whether Majo was who she said she was. Yuri bit back a smirk. While Nikoru kept her thoughts to herself, Yuri went in a roundabout way of questioning. She waited for Majo to prove her so-called magical abilities by granting a wish.

However, Majo had lived centuries more than the girls did - despite her appearance and somewhat childish personality - and inwardly congratulated Nikoru for her observations and praised Yuri for her cunning attitude.

The witch maintained a small smile and answered Yuri's question. "Yes, once every decade I choose a special someone and grant their wishes. I've been getting pretty bored lately so I asked Sozo Ryuko to open a portal to the Reborn world."

Nikoru's shoulders slumped at Majo's selfish reasoning. That was all she needed, another person around her that thought of their own personal benefits before anything else. "I see. But how did you know that we would want to go to the KHR world?" she asked.

Majo looked around. In the corner of the room was a brown, wooden shelf with multiple volumes of Katekyo Hitman Reborn manga placed in correct order. On the computer desk sat the DVD series of KHR. She blinked and looked back to the girls. "A lucky guess," she said simply.

"Wow, witches are so smart!" Yuri chirped brightly. Sadly, Nikoru decided to give her a whack on the head.

"When can we go?" Nikoru was wiping her hands together as if trying to get rid of the disease Yuri supposedly had. Unfortunately for Yuri, it couldn't be cured unless she was cuffed on the head.

"After I visit Sozo Ryuko and tell her to open the portal," Majo answered. "I'll also give you the power to do whatever you like.

"However," she said, and her tone darkened, "don't misuse your power and don't mess up anything too badly or who knows what would happen… Well!" Her tone brightened after the warning. "I'll leave you to it. Once you're done, just say my name and I'll be here."

Just as she was about to leave, Nikoru called out to her. "Wait, what power are you giving us?"

Majo paused for a minute and hummed thoughtfully. "Let's see, you get to decide what you look like, if you want to change your names. Um, you also get to choose your weapon, your possessions. Actually, to simplify this… Yuri!"

Yuri's eyes were drooping dangerously low and she was quiet for most of the whole situation going on. She was incredibly tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep. After all, having a witch pop up out of nowhere and declare that they were going to send her to a nonexistent world would be pretty overwhelming, especially when she had just arrived home from school.

"Yeah?" she slurred, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm going to place a spell on your laptop so you can type down what you want. This will only affect the two of you, so you can't change any of the character's personalities, appearances, and whatnot. Understand?"

"Sure," she answered, not quite registering her words.

Majo nodded triumphantly and disappeared.

oOoOo

"So," Yuri began as her eyes scanned over the list they typed out on her laptop. "We're changing our surnames and appearances. That's about it." She nodded approvingly and looked to the empty space a certain witch occupied a few moments ago. "Hey, Majo!"

Nikoru was glad that her parents were out of the house - who knew what they would have had done if they had heard three people conversing instead of two.

A disgruntled Majo appeared once again without a sound. "You made me wait an hour. What takes an hour for you to do?"

Yuri snorted. "Stop sulking and be glad we didn't take any longer."

Majo sighed in defeat. "I guess so… Well, are you done?" Her mood brightened once more.

"Mm-hm. We're ready," Nikoru replied with a smile before Yuri could make an acerbic remark.

"Then enter the wondrous portal! Who knows where you'll end up?" Majo sounded as if she was advertising a ride at an amusement park.

The two of them eyed her strangely and reluctantly stepped into the door that popped out of thin air. Inside of it was a random mix of colours. Red, blue, green, pink; Yuri's head spun as she tried to keep track of all the different hues.

Yuri thought it looked like a rainbow, though it was quite dizzy seeing how the colours swirled about. Suddenly, Majo's words echoed throughout her mind. 'Who knows where you'll end up?' That only meant… Yuri gasped and turned to Majo. "WAIT! Don't you know where you're sending us?" she asked frantically.

Majo shook her head as a negative and smiled. "Have a safe trip!" she cried out before shoving Yuri unceremoniously and slamming the door shut.

As the door clamped shut, all the colours were instantaneously replaced with black. The darkness was all that surrounded the screaming girls before an echoing thud resounded.

Yuri scowled. Lesson of a lifetime: Stay away from bored, ditzy witches.

* * *

_Published date:_ 29-05-10

_Edited date: _14-08-10, 5-09-10, 16-11-10, 27-03-11


	2. Enter: The Vongola

Chapter 2

_Enter: The Vongola_

Sawada Tsunayoshi was quite content with his life right now, despite how he didn't seem to realize how much he enjoyed it. He was currently walking throughout the bustling streets of Namimori with his two closest friends, Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato.

Predictably, the two began arguing, though Tsuna wasn't sure what it was about this time.

Breaking out of the one-sided argument, Yamamoto gave a breezy grin. "Tsuna, Gokudera, let's go to my house since it's the closest, okay?" he suggested.

Gokudera was about to retort but Tsuna quickly stepped in. "Sure, Yamamoto. I hope you don't mind our intrusion," he smiled shyly at his optimistic friend.

Tsuna breathed out a sigh of relief as Gokudera faltered. "If Tenth says so…I'm going to! I can't let my guard down around you, baseball-idiot."

Yamamoto waved the insult away. "Great!"

Along with his friends, Tsuna walked along towards Yamamoto's restaurant. Nothing relatively exciting happened until the restaurant was in their sights. Right as the trio stepped in front of the Sushi Restaurant, muffled cries of pain resounded from the top level.

"What was that?" Yamamoto asked quizzically.

Tsuna thought Yamamoto looked completely confused, but didn't it come from_ his_ house? He seemed to be waiting for something to pop out unexpectedly. After all, Tsuna grumbled mentally, things have gotten pretty weird in Namimori lately.

"Do you have someone staying over, Yamamoto?" Tsuna asked curiously, also peering up.

"No, not that I know of." Tsuna watched as his cheerful friend put on a contemplative face. He seemed to be trying to recall if anyone _was_ staying over. Tsuna's face went blank at Yamamoto's forgetfulness.

"Tch." Tsuna turned his head to peer at his scowling friend. "You probably forgot," Gokudera scoffed. Gokudera was also waiting for something to happen, but when nothing did, he looked away uninterestedly.

"Well let's check it out for ourselves," Tsuna heard a squeaky voice suggest casually. The brunette's body began quivering automatically. He knew who that voice belonged to, and whenever he spoke it usually brought trouble.

"Ciaossu," Reborn greeted, kicking Tsuna down meanwhile.

Tsuna groaned in pain. Why was Reborn so sadistic? He refused the urge to bang his head as he lay face-down on the pavement.

"Tenth!" he heard Gokudera exclaim in worry while Yamamoto laughed amiably. Well, at least one person cared about his well-being.

"Let's go up there and see what's happening," Reborn offered.

Tsuna got up and, after uttering thanks to his right-hand man, rubbed his face, trying to rid it of the imprint. He saw the mischievous glint appear in his tutor's all-knowing eyes. "I-I don't know," he stuttered nervously, sweat dripping off his forehead. Whenever Reborn offered to do something, it often ended in chaos.

"Do it or die," Reborn commanded. Tsuna didn't need any other warning. After the familiar words were uttered, he heard the safety of a gun being clicked off.

Screams of panic escaped from his lips and filled the air as he, Yamamoto, and Gokudera entered the restaurant. Tsuna was still a little jumpy as he wondered who the voices came from. The stares he was receiving from the diners weren't helping. Thankfully, they quickly went to what they were doing prior as Gokudera sent that a bone-chilling glare.

They passed by and checked all the rooms to see if there were any intruders, or guests. The only room left was Yamamoto's. As the trio (Reborn disappeared somewhere - Tsuna imagined that he was watching from afar) closed in towards the closed door, voices seeped through.

"Ow, damn. Where the hell are we?" a voice said grumpily. Tsuna noted that it belonged to a girl.

Another person hummed thoughtfully. "I think we're in a bedroom." Also a female.

"No shit," the first voice deadpanned.

Tsuna's eyes bulged. What were two girls doing in Yamamoto's room? Were they connected with the Mafia too? Tsuna inwardly groaned. Not another one!

Looking at the faces of his companions, Tsuna observed that they were thinking something along the lines of what he thought, though maybe slightly different.

Tsuna spent enough time with them to figure out that Gokudera was probably worried over his safety and thinking that the girls were assassins out to get him, or something nonsensical like that.

He also knew that Yamamoto was imagining that it was all a game, and that the girls were new players. Tsuna saw laughter dancing in his friend's eyes.

His musings were cut short, however, as the first voice spoke up once more.

"I know whose bedroom this is."

"Who?" the second voice asked patiently.

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were currently leaning against the door, trying their hardest to hear the ongoing conversation. As they pressed their ears against the smooth wooden door, Tsuna vaguely wondered why they didn't just barge in - for it was Yamamoto's room anyway.

Reborn must have read his mind, Tsuna realized with shock as the sadistic hitman kicked the door open with agility and strength that wasn't fit for a toddler. Tsuna almost screamed aloud as the trio tumbled in, one after another.

He, unfortunately, fell in first, then Gokudera, and then finally Yamamoto. Tsuna cried in pain under the weight of the two heavier boys.

"O-Ow," he whimpered. Gokudera must have heard him since he immediately shoved Yamamoto off unceremoniously and went to help Tsuna.

"BASTARD! Get off of me!" Gokudera screamed, enraged. Tsuna noted that Gokudera had already gotten out of the dog-pile, so why did he tell Yamamoto to get off anyway?

He saved his thoughts to himself, as Gokudera lent him a hand. Smiling somewhat shakily, Tsuna accepted the offer and thanked his loyal friend. He watched as Gokudera beamed proudly.

"No thanks needed, Tenth!" he declared happily. Gokudera's mood immediately darkened. "Now what should I do with the baseball-idiot?" he asked, pulling out sticks of dynamite from who-knew-where.

Tsuna flinched involuntarily, recalling how much trouble the explosives caused when the two first met. "D-Don't do anything, Gokudera-kun," he placated desperately. Fortunately, Gokudera obeyed.

Unfortunately, Tsuna couldn't stop the predictable one-sided argument. Tsuna sighed as he watched Yamamoto laugh breezily and Gokudera spit venomously.

"How long are you going to ignore us for?" a somewhat familiar voice perked up impatiently.

Instantaneously, Tsuna and his companions' heads snapped over automatically over to the two intruders.

"Ow, I think I got whiplash," Tsuna whispered quietly so that no one could hear him.

As he rubbed his neck, he fell into an awkward silence and eyed the girls wearily.

oOoOo

Kuraihana Yuri hated life. Life hated Kuraihana Yuri. It evened out.

Yuri was formerly known as 'Korin', but she changed it to remain inconspicuous since she was absolutely sure Reborn would look her up. Even though he couldn't find any information - since she technically didn't exist in this world - she wanted to play it safe. After all, Korin Yuri was gone and was replaced by Kuraihana Yuri.

Nikoru had done the same thing, as she was now known as 'Shirobara' Nikoru. Yuri inwardly chuckled at the new surnames, even if they laid it on a little too thick.

Shirobara, when translated into English, meant 'white rose', whilst Kuraihana meant 'dark flower'. Hmm, it kind of suited their personalities too, Yuri mused as she rubbed her head sorely. Imagine her luck, Yuri ended up landing on her head, as if she needed to lose _more _brain cells.

Nikoru was busy observing the room they were presently occupying. Yuri released a miniscule sigh. Trust Nikoru to take an infinite amount of time to realize whose bedroom this belonged to. I mean, Yuri scoffed inwardly, isn't obvious? There were several posters portraying various baseball players; who else in the KHR world was this fanatic about baseball?

She noncommittally brushed her wind-swept fringe out of her uninterested blue orbs. To go with her eyes, Yuri changed her hair into a light-blue colour that resembled the sky. Why she changed it into such an extremely - she shuddered at the word as she had gotten sick of it after hearing Ryohei repeatedly shout it - noticeable colour? Simple. Kuraihana Yuri loved separating herself from everyone else.

Needless to say, Yuri didn't like crowds - she also hated that word since Hibari had practically flaunted it and made it incredibly popular amongst his fangirls. Yuri grimaced from her seat on the shiny wooden floor.

To complete her newly-obtained bright orbs, Yuri wore a blue and white sailor uniform. Admittedly, many girls would wear it as it was quite common, but… Yuri just liked it - simple. To make up for the lack of individuality, Yuri made a last-minute decision to wear white socks that reached mid-thigh. Haha, take that, teachers at her previous school that banned socks to reach higher than mid-calf.

Nikoru spoke up, cutting Yuri's jeers short. "Hmm…I think we're in someone's bedroom."

Yuri contained a snort. Nikoru was so slow, as usual. "No shit," she deadpanned. Nikoru remained unfazed at the jibe. Yuri smiled. She was glad Nikoru wasn't hurt by her insults, even though it was for fun and close friends are allowed to insult each other.

Yuri took this time to eye Nikoru's attire. It was simple, really. Nikoru wore a purple jacket with a hood - much to Yuri's distaste. Nikoru was too obsessive over hoodies. Nikoru wore black jeans with dark blue converse sneakers. Yuri shook her head disbelievingly. Trust Nikoru to make her outfit any different from what she usually wore in their world.

Nikoru must have felt Yuri's eyes at her, for she flicked her honey-coloured orbs to stare at sky-shaded ones. Yuri gave her a look, which could be translated as 'wtf?' She should have known Nikoru would change her eye-colour to one that was similar to Hyper Dying Will Tsuna's.

Yuri could make out the almost completely indistinguishable bangs from underneath the hoodie Nikoru erected. Hmm, Yuri mused, Nikoru must have changed it into a dark blue colour. The shade of blue reminded Yuri of a sapphire. Well, at least that was original-ish.

Deciding that Nikoru wasn't going to figure out whose bedroom it was any time soon, Yuri helped out. "I know whose bedroom this is," she said bluntly.

"Who?" Nikoru asked, blinking.

She looked so cute and innocent! Yuri suppressed the urge to run over and pinch her cheeks. As she opened her mouth to reply, a bang resounded and three familiar figures fell through the open doorway.

Yuri watched impassively as the trio sorted themselves out and then began to talk amongst themselves. Throughout their antics Yuri thought she heard Nikoru chuckled softly, but then again who could hear anything amid all that noise?

Finally, she had enough. "How long are you going to ignore us for?"

As the words left her mouth, all three heads snapped over to her and Nikoru. It was surprising that they all didn't cringe from whiplash. Yuri's eyes drifted towards the lap-dog, the air-headed athlete, and the frightened mouse. Mouse? Hm, it would do for now.

Yuri pondered on what to say. Well, in a situation like this, she must lie her butt off! Yuri agreed and then proceeded to utilize her award-winning BS skills. "I guess you're wondering what we're doing in this bedroom," she started off casually.

From the corner of her eye, Yuri thought she saw Nikoru shake her head in disbelief. "Well, we're not quite sure ourselves." A lie. "One minute we," she pointed to herself and her partner in crime, "were sitting in our bedroom talking, and the next thing we know - bam!" She clapped her hands for the extra effect. "We ended up here." She was grinning by the time she finished her story.

Though the last bit _was_ true. Courtesy of Majo, that is.

"You guys share a bedroom?" Yamamoto asked innocently. Tsuna blanched as Gokudera was about to explode yet again.

**Now** Yuri was completely sure that Nikoru was shaking her head in disbelief. Though Yuri knew Nikoru was biting her lip so her chuckles - or maybe giggles - wouldn't escape.

It was typical of Nikoru to attract as little attention as possible, after all. That was just one example in how their personality traits broadly differed from each other. It was a wonder how they remained friends after nearly a decade of being with each other.

Then again, it was probably due to the obsession of anime that they shared. Now that Yuri thought about it, her other two very close friends also had an interest in anime. But, Yuri reflected, Taiyomi pretty much despised anime, even though she liked drama.

Seeing how Yuri had drifted off, Nikoru decided to take the stage and being by introducing herself. Now Nikoru, she inwardly lectured herself - which in its way was quite creepy as she was speaking in third person - these people aren't _total _strangers. They may not know you, but you certainly know more about them than they do themselves. Still, a lot of KHR fans knew more than they did.

Swallowing, Nikoru opened her mouth to begin speaking.

"Anyway, I'm Kuraihana Yuri," Yuri began brightly, breaking out of her stupor.

Nikoru toppled over slightly as Yuri interjected before she could even utter a single syllable.

"Ah!" Yamamoto exclaimed in understanding. "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi," he grinned. "That's," he pointed to a sour-looking Gokudera, "Gokudera Hayato. Don't worry; he's not as mean as he looks." At this, Gokudera's scowl was etched in even deeper. Blithely ignoring - or not even taking notice at all - Gokudera's heated glare, Yamamoto pointed to Tsuna next. "And that's Sawada Tsunayoshi. He prefers Tsuna, though most people call him No Good-Tsuna."

Being the ever-oblivious boy he was, Yamamoto never noticed the abrupt tense atmosphere.

Tsuna looked like he was on the verge of tears, either from the demeaning introduction or Yamamoto's blissful ignorance. Either one was understandable.

Gokudera looked ready to strangle someone, that someone being a certain baseball fanatic…

Yuri snickered, amused by Yamamoto's lack of tact and the various emotions being displayed, though she secretly wondered what Nikoru was doing.

In one fluid motion, Nikoru stood up and gracefully walked over to the depressed boy. Everyone paused in what they were doing and directed their eyes towards the duo. Nikoru kneeled down in front of Tsuna - who, as well as the other boys, ended up sitting down during the whole interaction - and laid a hand on his gravity-defying locks, ruffling it in a peaceful gesture.

Yuri stuck out her lower lip. Nikoru's hair-ruffling was always so relaxing and instantly calmed everyone down. Lucky Tsuna…

Yamamoto grinned. What a strange duo, maybe they could join the mafia game too!

Tsuna blushed madly, making a tomato pale in comparison.

Gokudera, thinking that his beloved boss was uncomfortable, immediately took action, by screaming his lungs out.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO TENTH?" he hollered furiously, face turning red from lack of oxygen.

Everyone in the room - scratch that - everyone in the _building _flinched or cringed at the volume.

"Shush!" Yuri chastised and slapped a hand over Gokudera's mouth with an echoing smack. "All of Namimori probably heard you!" Heck, half of Japan probably heard him.

Gokudera ripped her hand off of his mouth and tossed it away unceremoniously. "It wasn't my fault!" he defended haughtily. "That boy over there violated Tenth!" he cried indignantly.

Yuri's hand fell to her side, as if it were devoid of life. She sunk to her knees with a stunned look on her face. As soon as she reached the floor, she immediately doubled over in laughter. She laughed quite maniacally, not caring whether she was on the receiving ends of suspicious or weird glances.

As she rolled over while clutching her sides, Tsuna decided to speak up what was on everyone else's' minds. "Um, K-Kuraihana-san," he piped in nervously, "why are you laughing?"

"B…because," she stumbled over her words in between snickers. "Y-You." She tried to get her words out, but whenever she thought about it, she burst out into another fit of chuckles.

"Who. Is. A. Boy?" Nikoru ground out between clenched teeth. She was now standing next to Tsuna, who broke in a cold sweat once he felt the massive killer intent Nikoru was emitting.

Nikoru viciously yanked her hood off, looking rather put out.

Gokudera was dumbfounded. He quietly cursed himself for making such an immense mistake.

Yamamoto's eyes darted from Tsuna to Nikoru, and began laughing, though it wasn't as wild as Yuri's.

Tsuna blushed even harder this time, making Yuri - who got tired after laughing so much - wonder how much blood his small body could store. Tsuna was oddly comforted by the gesture. It was quite soothing…but no! He immediately silenced that train of thought. He was loyal to Kyoko and Kyoko only.

Whilst all the confusion was taking place, no one noticed Reborn watching from afar.

None of them noticed she was a girl. Reborn smirked. They needed more training. His coal-black orbs glinted with malicious glee at the prospect of inflicting more pain towards his student and company.

His sadistic thoughts were filed to the back of his mind for later use, as he tried to solve their current riddle. How did these girls get here?

Reborn knew all of the Mafioso throughout all corners of the world, so these girls couldn't possibly be linked to the Mafia. They seemed out of place, too. Reborn was sure he would notice the very obvious eye-catching girls immediately if they entered Namimori, so why wasn't he informed?

Kuraihana Yuri, there was no information on her, not even a picture. Reborn's interest, and suspicion, piqued a new height.

Were they possible enemies? Reborn started slightly at that possibility. But…these girls didn't look like hitmen material, though it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on them, just in case. Being the Ninth's most trusted hitman, Reborn was taught to never underestimate possible enemies, even if they were two teen-aged girls.

And what better way to keep a close eye on them than to invite them - or force them, depending on how they reacted - to Tsuna's Family? Reborn smirked victoriously. He would find out their secrets soon enough.

"I'm not a boy, I'm a girl," Nikoru stated quite calmly with a smile.

Yuri swallowed audibly and subconsciously stepped back. She knew that smile. Nice people tended to be scary underneath, this applied to many people that Yuri knew of. Even though Nikoru was smiling innocently, anyone smart enough could feel the suffocating aura coming from her.

"W-Well, I don't blame them for thinking you're a guy," Yuri grinned. "That's why I said you should put your hood down," she reprimanded, earning a vicious glare from Nikoru, who was still smiling. "Besides," she said slowly, relishing the moment, "your flat chest doesn't help either."

Fortunately for everyone within a mile's radius of the quintet, Nikoru huffed, amused. "Are you jealous by the convenience of having a flat chest?" she challenged.

Yuri turned away, avoiding Nikoru's triumphant gaze. "No," she lied. Yuri inwardly seethed for letting Nikoru pull one over her. They both knew that Yuri wanted to cross-dress badly, but her luck had always been bad. After all, it was a Monday when she discovered one of the horrific difficulties in the process of cross-dressing.

Reborn chose that moment to hop in. "Ciaossu," he greeted with false childishness. "Shirobara Nikoru," Reborn pointedly ignored Yuri's grumbled complaints about how Nikoru was mentioned first. "Kuraihana Yuri," he smirked as Tsuna was about to have a panic attack. "How would you like to join the Mafia?"

High-pitched screams filled the air.

* * *

_Edited date: _16-08-10, 05-09-10, 16-11-10


	3. Enter: Yamamoto Tsuyoshi

Chapter 3

_Enter: Yamamoto Tsuyoshi_

Yuri grinned. How typical was it of Reborn to invite absolute strangers into Tsuna's Family? Shouldn't he do a background check or something along the lines of it? Ah, never mind that. Yuri mentally reprimanded herself. Of course Reborn researched about them - but he obviously couldn't find any information on people who weren't meant to exist in this world.

Yuri decided to play dumb. "Vongola? Doesn't that mean clam? Why would we want to join a clam family?" She fought to keep the smirk off her lips, though it was hard not to snicker at Reborn's irritated look. Yuri had to give it to the hitman; he was good at keeping his emotions in check.

Nikoru appeared to catch on. "Vongola Family? What's that?" She tilted her head to the side questioningly.

Reborn went into his lecture mode. His chubby face tightened for a split second, revealing the dangerous man lurking beneath his childish facade. "Hn, the Vongola family is the most powerful Mafioso family in all of Italy."

There he went, Yuri remarked mentally, boasting about the Vongola Family even though it wasn't as terrific as everyone thought.

"And Tsuna here is the Boss," Reborn finished with a smirk, a tinge of pride invading his tone.

"Wah, really?" Nikoru asked eagerly. "Tsuna-kun, you're a boss?"

Yuri looked aghast. Tsuna-kun? she repeated silently. Nikoru was sounding a lot like Kyoko. Yuri scowled at the thought.

"HIII! Reborn! You can't involve Kuraihana-san and Shirobara-san with the Mafia!" Tsuna was about to pull his hair out. Huh, Yuri supposed he really didn't like involving the innocent.

Gokudera was protesting against Reborn as well, but for a different reason altogether. "Reborn-san! You can't possibly be thinking of inviting these _strange_ girls into Tenth's Family! It's bad enough that we already have that baseball-idiot-" Gokudera spoke as if Yamamoto wasn't there at all, "-and the Stupid Cow, now we have these two weirdos who we know nothing about!"

Yuri rolled her eyes. It was predictable of Gokudera to not want anyone else joining Tsuna's Family. How childish.

Yamamoto pealed with bells of refreshing laughter. "It's fine, it's fine. The more the merrier, right, Gokudera?"

Gokudera spluttered angrily, trying to find a suitable comeback that would hopefully silence Yamamoto.

Yuri was busying herself by inspecting the surprisingly clean room. Great, just what she needed. Another neat freak. She already had Nikoru.

"Be quiet, you two. You both are a million years too early to talk back to me," Reborn stated quite menacingly, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Tsuna and Gokudera wisely shut their mouths with an audible snap.

Tsuna frowned, still worrying over the whole involving-two-random-strangers-that-popped-out-of-the-sky-with-the-Mafia business.

Gokudera scowled, hating the prospect of another fool joining the Family.

The tension was thick and heavy, thus making Yuri decide to destroy it. "Sooo," she began conversationally, "in a million years they can speak back to you?" she asked innocently.

Nikoru facepalmed, though Yuri noticed the ends of her lips quirking up.

Gokudera scowled, pondering on how stupid Yuri was.

Tsuna hung his head and sighed audibly, depressed at how thick she seemed.

Yamamoto laughed, thinking she was joking.

Reborn looked ready to murder something, or more like some_one_. "What is your answer?" he inquired, as if Yuri hadn't interrupted.

Yuri snorted softly. Even if she rejected offer incredibly blatantly, Reborn would go to whatever extremes he needed to ensure that Yuri would remain wherever he could survey her closely.

Yuri knew that Reborn wouldn't offer two seemingly-normal, non-combatant girls within the dangerous underworld without a hidden agenda. Nikoru may be good at observing people, but Yuri reigned supreme when it came to analyzing and seeing the more cunning and darker side of things.

"Yes," Nikoru chirped happily. "I would love to join."

Yuri watched with mild amusement as Tsuna blanched, the blood draining from his face faster that it would if his throat was slit. He began fidgeting nervously, waiting in anticipation.

Gokudera glared at Yuri. She supposed that he really was against others befriending Tsuna. Ah well, he would have to deal with it whether he liked it or not.

Yamamoto grinned. Yuri wondered if he was fighting the urge to hum merrily. He must still think of the Mafia as a mere game. Yuri tried to recall when exactly he would realize that it wasn't actually a game, but a dangerous life-threatening experience.

"Well?" Reborn prompted impatiently.

Yuri inwardly chastised herself for her inner monologue. Plastering a feral smirk on her face, she answered, "Sounds like fun."

Reborn returned the smirk. "Good. We'll call it a day for now." He jumped onto Yamamoto's shoulder and made himself comfortable.

Nikoru agreed. "We should get going."

Yuri peered out the window and noted that the sun was already setting. The orange mixed with the pink, causing a warm peach colour to glow throughout the town.

"Ah, it's this late already? I should head home quickly," spoke a worried Tsuna. His eyebrows furrowed in stress. "Jeez, Mom's going to lecture me."

"Do not fret, Tenth! I shall accompany you and make sure you won't get punished," announced Gokudera devotedly.

"Thank you, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna smiled sincerely.

Yuri stared at the scene. Was it her, or did this seem like a GokuderaXTsuna fluffy moment? Yuri suppressed a shiver at the thought of yaoi, but she couldn't hold back the grimace at the thought of _rabid fangirls_. Speaking of fangirls, Yuri shot a glance at Nikoru.

Nikoru looked like she was going to hug the small boy, but Yuri held her back. Nikoru shot a heated glare at her friend. Yuri unintentionally recoiled. She hated it when Nikoru allowed her Inner Fangirl seep through. Needless to say, her Inner Fangirl was scary, and very annoying.

oOoOo

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi was enjoying his job. Some may call it mundane, but they never saw the unique customers that dropped in from time to time. Strange things occurred throughout Namimori for the past few weeks. Tsuyoshi assumed that, soon enough, something would happen that would inevitably involve him.

His day started out the same as any other day. He prepared lunch for his only son, sent the boy off to school with a mild warning, opened the restaurant, busied himself during the daily lunch rush, and waited patiently for his son to return.

Things went downhill from there.

A thud resonated from the upper portion of the building, causing his diners to pause. Tsuyoshi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, though his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Was it a burglar? But it couldn't be. Burglars were meant to be quiet and cunning. The shouts from above indicated that it certainly wasn't a burglar.

Before he could go inspect things himself, his son that seemed like a teenage version of himself dashed throughout the restaurant, accompanied by his two good friends.

Tsuyoshi shook himself out of his stupor, trusting his son to take care of any problems. He prompted himself to tend to the diners' every need.

Things turned even worse after that.

Several hours later, Tsuyoshi found himself in the midst of an empty restaurant. One would think it was abandoned or some sort of horrendous incident happened that ended up repelling any potential customers.

In fact, the latter had indeed happened, though it probably wouldn't be classified as 'horrendous', maybe 'annoying' or 'boisterous' would suffice.

Needless to say, as his son and company marched down the stairs, Tsuyoshi was beyond irritated.

"Takeshi…" he began forebodingly. He noticed the two extras that hadn't entered through the door. Were they the ones who created all that noise? "Who are these two? I didn't see them enter with you," he noted with amusement as one of the girls shifted uncomfortably whereas the other looked impassive. "What were you doing up there that caused so much noise?" he asked in a calm tone, though his eyes betrayed him. His usually warm orbs hardened as he stared his son down.

Yuri, seeing Yamamoto's uneasiness, took it to herself to help him out. Her BS abilities were the best, after all. "Ah, that was my fault," she said bluntly, remaining blank. Her grogginess easily affected her attitude, as shown. "My friend-" she pointed towards Nikoru who smiled in embarrassment, "-and I suddenly fell through the sky and landed in your son's room." Though her eyes remained bored, she grinned, not even abashed at her explanation.

"Um," Tsuna said nervously. "Excuse me, but it was our fault to." He held his hands in front of him as a placating gesture.

"Is this true, Takeshi?" Tsuyoshi hadn't relented as he shifted his gaze towards his son.

"Well…" he trailed off, rubbing the back of his messy nest of hair.

"I'm sorry," Nikoru apologized solemnly. "Is there anything we can do to pay you back?"

Yuri bit back a long-suffering groan. Nikoru was sometimes _too _good. And did she have to say '**we**'?

Tsuyoshi hummed in thought. "Actually, there is." He felt like grinning like a maniac, but held himself back. "You two have to work for me."

"Sure," Nikoru agreed after a moment's hesitation.

"Wait," Yuri interjected. Her expressionless face was replaced by a cunning one. "We agree, as long as the other three work along with us," she smirked. It was fun dragging other people down along with her.

Yamamoto beamed. "It'll be fun working together, right? Though, I already work here," he laughed cordially.

"Eheh, sure. Helping out is the least I can do," smiled an apologetic Tsuna.

"Tenth, how kind of you! I shall work here too. I can't allow you to be alone with that baseball-idiot," Gokudera proclaimed loyally.

"Hmph, Inu-dera," Yuri whispered quietly, but Gokudera heard anyway.

"HAH? What was that, you stupid girl?" the newly-dubbed 'Doggie-dera' challenged.

A vein appeared on Yuri's forehead. "I said-mmf!" She was cut off as a smiling Nikoru clamped a hand over Yuri's mouth.

"Ah, please excuse her foul mouth," she said nervously.

Yuri scowled but was soon replaced by a smirk, though it was hidden so no one could see.

Several seconds later, Nikoru jumped away, shaking her hand viciously. "I can't believe you licked my hand," she grumbled with a light scowl, wiping her wet hand onto Yuri's sleeve.

Yuri grinned victoriously. "I always told you that if you ever covered my mouth with your hand, I would lick it. Anyway, let's go!"

They took a few steps towards the door, but Reborn stopped them. "Do you girls have a place to stay?" he asked, genuinely curious. He wanted to know their address so he could watch them.

"Oh," Nikoru whispered after a moment of pregnant silence. Majo never mentioned anything about setting up a place for them.

Yuri grinned stupidly. "Nope!" Though it wasn't something she should be happy about.

"Why do I always get involved with these types of people?" Tsuna muttered, gloomy. Nikoru ruffled his hair and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Then, why don't you stay at Tsuna's place?" Reborn suggested, ignoring the shouts of protest in the background.

Yuri pondered on that offer. Tsuna's place, eh?

Ignoring Gokudera's shouts completely, Nikoru spoke to the brunette, "Tsuna-kun, how many people are currently staying at your place?"

Tsuna took a few seconds to think. "Um…there's Bianchi, Lambo, Fuuta, Reborn, I-pin, Mom and me."

"Wow…eight people and including us two, that would make ten." Nikoru's honey-coloured eyes bulged as she realized just how many people were living in one house. Although, three of them were just toddlers…toddlers from the world of Mafia, that is.

Yuri understood now_. _Since there were so many, uh - she fought to find the accurate word - guests…staying over at Tsuna's, the two girls would be burdens.

She smiled at her friend's thoughtfulness. "Then, I guess we can't stay," she rejected his offer. "Ten would be too many. _Nine_, however…" She snickered deviously, a plan forming in her head. "Nine wouldn't be over the limit. So, Nikoru, you'll be staying with the clam boss."

"Better make room for one more…" Tsuna sighed at the prospect of an overcrowded home.

"Eh? Why only me? How about you, where are _you_ going to stay?" Nikoru was upset that she'd be by herself, even though she had a fangirl crush on Tsuna. She was also worried. Her friend was going to be homeless…well, she always had a way to get out of things.

"Meh, I'll stay here with Takeshi. You don't mind, do you?" Yuri looked over at Yamamoto.

"Nope, but you'll have to get permission from Oyaji first," Yamamoto replied cheerfully.

"Oh, ok. Oi, Ossan!" she yelled, looking at the direction of the kitchen which Tsuyoshi had gone into.

Nikoru smiled, amused. Tsuna twitched. After all, when a stranger wanted to stay over, shouldn't they ask _politely_?

"Yeah?" Tsuyoshi walked out, drying a dish with a tea towel.

"Can I live here for a while? I'm going to be working here anyway," she reasoned with a smirk.

"Sure. Don't you have your own place to stay?" the katana-wielder questioned.

"No, actually. You see, we just arrived here at Namimori today," Yuri supplied. Oh, how she loved her amazing BS skills.

"Oh, I see. Well, what school are you going to attend?" Tsuyoshi asked while placing the dish away back into the kitchen.

"Duh! Where else? Namimori Middle of course!" Yuri exclaimed enthusiastically.

"EHHH? Nami Middle?" Tsuna adopted a bewildered expression.

"Where else can we go? Kokuyo Middle School?" Yuri raised a skeptical eyebrow, sarcasm lacing her tone.

"I don't see why you can't go there instead of staying here, bothering Tenth," Gokudera said rudely, making Yuri glower at the bomber.

That meant that they didn't meet Mukuro and the Kokuyo gang yet, since they showed no signs of recognition or fear towards the word Kokuyo, Nikoru observed, while the two short-tempered members of the group began bickering.

"You kids should go home now, before it gets dark," Tsuyoshi hinted the obvious dismissal. "And work starts after school, so if you don't come I'll hunt you down," he said with a joking smile on his face, but they all knew that he was serious.

Once they bade their farewells, Gokudera, Nikoru, Tsuna, and Reborn left the restaurant and headed back to the comfort of their homes.

* * *

_Edited date: _18-08-10, 05-09-10, 16-11-10


	4. Enter: Sawada Nana

Chapter 4

_Enter: Sawada Nana, Bianchi_

Yuri watched as Nikoru, Tsuna, Reborn, and Gokudera left the restaurant. Gokudera was tagging along, saying that it was for Tsuna's safety and that his apartment was nearby. Yuri severely doubted him. The loyal lap-dog had the unfortunate hobby of treating Tsuna's word as law. Yuri wondered why they were in such a hurry. It was only a quarter to six.

"Yuri!" Yamamoto called in his jovial voice.

Yuri adjusted her position so that she was facing Yamamoto. He stood next to the staircase leading to the house portion of the building. Yamamoto was still in his Nami-Middle uniform. Yuri pondered when exactly he was going to change. Weren't uniforms horribly uncomfortable? Well, maybe for her it was…

"Yeah?" grunted Yuri impassively. She was obviously tired, and when she was tired, Yuri was irritated.

"Wanna race?" Yamamoto asked with a glint in his eyes, gesturing to the wide staircase.

Yuri smiled in amusement. At least her fatigue was gone. She didn't want to dishearten the energetic boy, so she decided to accept his offer, despite the fact that there was a ninety percent chance that she would trip. "A challenge?" Yuri questioned seriously. "Bring it!" Determination flashed through her eyes.

Yamamoto grinned and got in position, competitive side slipping through. "Ready? Go!"

And they were off. Yuri's foot accidentally slipped on one of the stairs, but soon regained her momentum and dashed after the athlete who was already several steps above her.

Yuri lived in a one-story house, meaning there was little to none stairs. So she wasn't used to walking, let alone running on them. They were almost to the top, the hallway in their sights, when Luck decided to pull a fast one on her favourite victim.

Yuri tripped on her two feet and stumbled to the clean, wooden floor. Yes, she was brilliant enough to trip _up_ the stairs. Grumbling, she inwardly thanked whoever constructed the house that they didn't use stone instead of wood. She was also thankful for the fact that she landed face-first on the floor in the hallway, instead of the edged-stairs.

"Are you alright?" Yamamoto appeared worried, though his eyes danced with laughter. Bastard.

Yuri rubbed her nose gingerly and took the proffered hand. "Yeah, I'm used to it," she said depressingly and patted the imaginary dust off of her shirt. "I always trip over things, including invisible rocks and flat surfaces but I don't feel any pain," she explained with a blank face. Yuri saw the bewildered look Yamamoto obtained. "Is that normal?" she added innocently.

The baseball-fanatic burst out laughing, though this laughter sounded more relaxed and lighter.

"Shush!" Yuri huffed impatiently, refusing the urge to stomp her feet like a child. "It's not that funny," she grumbled along with several insults.

Yamamoto paused in his laughter and gazed quizzically at Yuri, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Okay," she relented. "It's a little bit funny." Yuri couldn't stop the ends of lips twitching up into an amused grin, though this grin contained less animosity than her previous ones did. "So where will I be sleeping?" Yuri decided to change the subject before Yamamoto could break out into a new fit of giggles.

"My room, I guess." Yamamoto shrugged nonchalantly. "There aren't any spares, unfortunately. It's not like you're staying here permanently, it's just until you can find your own place," he added with an assuring smile.

Yuri's eyebrows furrowed. "The living room?" she prompted. Yuri didn't mind sharing a room with Yamamoto - it's not like he would do anything perverted, and if he did, there were dire consequences - it's just that she wanted her own personal space. After all, she didn't like sharing her personal space, especially when she was partly claustrophobic…

"There's not enough room," Yamamoto smiled sympathetically.

Yuri resisted the urge to bang her head on the wall. Repeatedly. Did he have to say that right after she inwardly ranted about how she needed room?

"The couch isn't made for sleeping," he continued, not noticing Yuri's frustration. "It's hard and you'll end up with a sore back." Yuri wondered how he knew of that little detail, did he experience it himself? "Well, let's go."

"Ok," Yuri murmured, yawning. The two entered Yamamoto's room, and Yuri suddenly recalled something. Oh yeah, he was a neat freak. "Oi, Takeshi."

"Yeah?" Yamamoto called, voice muffled slightly as he dug throughout his wardrobe.

"Are you a neat freak?" Yuri was always a straightforward person.

"Eh? Why do you say that?"

Though Yamamoto couldn't see it, Yuri scowled in annoyance. She didn't like it when people answered her question with another question. "Well, you don't even have a trace of dust," she began lightly, all traces of displeasure gone. "Nor any porno magazines."

Yuri bit back a smirk as Yamamoto pulled his head out of the wardrobe. His eyes bulged comically and tried to get the words out of his mouth.

"Are you gay?" she questioned innocently, secretly hoping the answer would be a negative. Yuri didn't really mind if he were gay, but she hoped the rabid yaoi-loving fangirls wouldn't hear a word of it.

Yamamoto found her questions amusing, so, naturally, he laughed aloud. "No, no, I'm not gay."

"I see." Yuri couldn't help but sigh in relief. Haha, _Kuraihana Yuri: 1 - Rabid Fangirls: 0. _"But back to my previous question, are you a neat freak?" She sat down cross-legged on the tatami mats, wiggling her sock-clad toes. It felt strange without her shoes while still having socks on.

"Nope, I'm not a neat freak. But I'm not a slob either," clarified Yamamoto. He skilfully tossed Yuri a neatly rolled-up futon. So that was what he was looking for…

As he walked towards her, Yuri frowned in distaste. She ran her hand across the futon, feeling the thinness and texture. It seemed uncomfortable. She requested for another futon.

Nodding slowly, but smiling nonetheless, Yamamoto grabbed hold of another futon.

Yuri placed one atop of another and lay down to test how comfortable it felt. Still frowning, Yuri asked a bemused Yamamoto for two more. In the end, she ended up with seven of the flat make-shift beds atop of each other, resembling a normal mattress.

Yamamoto laughed as he realized what she was doing. Yuri wanted to sleep on something thick and comfortable, not something flat that could be easily mistaken for a carpet mat.

Tsuyoshi wandered up the stairs, calling the teenagers down for dinner. When he saw the tower of futons, he simply shook his head and walked back down to the kitchen. It had been five minutes since the girl moved in, and she was already turning things upside down.

Yuri snickered at the responses and skipped towards the dinner table - barely remembering to watch out for the stairs - and wondered how Nikoru was doing. More specifically, she was worried whether or not Nikoru's Inner Fangirl would appear and hug Tsuna to death. Ah well, it wasn't her problem either way.

oOoOo

Nikoru walked to the left of Tsuna, whilst Gokudera strolled on his right. Reborn was hopping up and down the fences of various houses. The sun was about to set into the horizon, signalling the streetlights to flicker on.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as the quartet travelled at a mild pace. Nikoru wasn't one to start conversations with people she just met - that was Yuri's job - but then again, Tsuna, Gokudera, and Reborn weren't total strangers to her. She inwardly thanked Yuri for making it so that Reborn couldn't read their minds. Though the magic laptop did most of the work…

"Hey, Tsuna-kun, Gokudera-san," she began, pulling the hood over her head so that they couldn't see her facial expressions.

The two boys gazed at Nikoru. Gokudera looked bored while Tsuna appeared to be relieved at the end of the awkward silence.

"Are there any people we should watch out for at Namimori Middle?" She already knew of Hibari, but who else were potentially dangerous over there?

"Ah, Shirobara-san, you'll have to watch out for H-Hibari-san," stuttered Tsuna. Nikoru assumed that Tsuna treated Hibari's name as if it were taboo, that or he thought if he said the name aloud, then Hibari would appear out of nowhere. But that was ridiculous…right? Nikoru discretely shifted her eyes around to survey any new characters appearing.

"Che, if you ask me, that bastard is obsessed with the school and beats up everyone who 'disrespects' it," snorted Gokudera. "The whole Disciplinary Committee members have weird hairstyles."

Ah, yes. Nikoru recalled the strange hairstyles that appeared as if they took forever to manage. Yuri called them pompadours or something? Speaking of Yuri, wasn't her favourite character Hibari? Or did she grow out of that stage…?

"Weird hairstyles?" Nikoru echoed. "Oh, Yuri is going to create hell tomorrow," she sighed heavily, picturing the damage her friend would cause throughout the building.

Tsuna raised an eyebrow in confusion. He opened his mouth, ready to ask Nikoru for an elaboration, but was soon cut off by Gokudera.

"Tenth, I shall take my leave now," announced Gokudera with a small smile to Tsuna. The road they were walking on was divided into two directions. Gokudera was heading right whilst Tsuna and Nikoru were heading left.

"Ah, okay." Tsuna smiled. "See you tomorrow, Gokudera-kun." He gave a small wave. Though Gokudera was facing straight, he raised a hand as a wave.

After a moment of deliberation, Nikoru plucked up her courage and bade her farewell to Gokudera as well. Gokudera's hand faltered for a second, but soon rose again.

Nikoru beamed, happy to be expected by one of the hard-headed members of the Family. The two watched the silver-haired boy leave until he was out of their sights.

"Oi, you two," Reborn addressed the teenagers, startling them. They almost forgot he was there with them. "How long are you going to dawdle for?" he asked impatiently.

"Ah, you're right!" Tsuna agreed hastily, trying not to get himself punished by his beloved home tutor. "Let's hurry, Shirobara-san."

Nikoru nodded, and after several minutes of silence - this time, a more comfortable one - they reached the Sawada residence.

"I'm back!" Tsuna called into the lively, bright house.

"Ah!" Nana cried delightedly. "Tsu-kun, welcome home. You were gone for a while," she scolded gently. Nana was carrying a basket full of laundry as she addressed Tsuna, not quite noticing Nikoru just yet.

"Sorry, Mom." Tsuna smiled apologetically. "I was at Yamamoto's."

Nikoru vaguely wondered when the two brunettes were going to notice her, not that she minded. Nikoru liked listening and observing, that was how she noticed things, though her slowness was kind of a setback.

"I see." Nana nodded understandingly, warm smile still in place. "But next time, give me a call when you're playing with your friends. It's almost 6:30."

Nikoru gazed at the clock hanging on one of the walls. It read '6:15'. Nikoru gave Nana a look of disbelief.

"Now, who's your new friend?" Nana beamed as she scanned Nikoru up and down. Nikoru felt slightly uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Ah," Tsuna exclaimed as if he forgot Nikoru was there. "This is Shirobara-san. She arrived in Namimori today and has no place to stay," he explained calmly. He probably knew that Nana would allow Nikoru to stay, seeing how she had already done so with so many others. Nikoru blinked. That was kind of dangerous when you thought about it.

"You don't?" Nana asked, perplexed. Nikoru knew Nana was wondering where Nikoru's parents or guardians were, but wisely kept her mouth shut. "Well, I can't let a sweet girl like you stay on the streets. I insist that you stay here," she welcomed warmly.

Nikoru could literally feel the love. "Thank you very much. I'm Shirobara Nikoru, please take care of me," she smiled and bowed.

Tsuna's jaw dropped. "Mom, how did you know that Shirobara-san was a girl?" he asked, bewildered. After all, Nikoru still had her hood up, covering her hair and petite features.

"It's a woman's intuition, Tsu-kun," giggled Nana.

Tsuna blanched, mumbling something along the lines of 'of course, of course' while Nikoru stifled a chuckle.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Nana announced. "I'll call you when it's time. Tsu-kun, Nikoru-chan will be sleeping in your room since the other rooms are already occupied and I can't make her sleep on the couch either."

Tsuna nodded, and motioned Nikoru to follow him towards his - their - room.

They got themselves organized so that Nikoru was to sleep on the floor with the futon and Tsuna remained in his bed. At first, Tsuna offered to give his bed up but was immediately rejected by Nikoru, saying that it was _his_ bed. Tsuna persisted but soon gave up when Nikoru gave him her Shadow Smile, the same one he witnessed at Yamamoto's the afternoon prior.

The two conversed on various things, but were soon interrupted by a little cow-boy.

"BAHAHA! You can't catch Lambo-san!" Lambo boasted as he ran around the room.

Nikoru watched blankly as Fuuta and I-pin soon arrived, running around the room. Tsuna got a hold of Lambo and began scolding him. Apparently, Lambo stole Fuuta and I-pin's candy and ran around the house with it, again. Nikoru frowned lightly, Lambo reminded her of her annoying little cousins back home. Correction: her annoying, spoilt, sadistic cousins.

"Tsuna-kun," she spoke up once Tsuna let the kids run free. "Can I take a shower?" She felt dirty and oily, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Ah, sure, it's across the hall, two doors down."

"Thanks." Nikoru got up and took one step before recalling something crucial. "Um," she stalled, shifting nervously, it was too embarrassing to say.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked, concern seeping through his doe-like orbs.

Nikoru knelt back down and leaned close to Tsuna, whispering in his ear.

At first, Tsuna blinked at the sudden closeness and need for hushed whispering, but soon reddened at what Nikoru told him. Nikoru's embarrassment was transferred onto Tsuna, replacing his previous confusion. Even Nikoru was blushing lightly.

"EHH?" Tsuna screamed, surprising Nikoru with his lung capacity. The kids looked questioningly at the two before running off downstairs. Tsuna rubbed the back of his head like he always did when he was nervous. "I-I'll ask around."

Nikoru nodded and followed Tsuna. They stopped at the room closest to theirs, which happened to belong to Bianchi. Nikoru let Tsuna knock on the door and waited patiently for it to open. Soon enough, footsteps were coming closer and Bianchi opened the door gracefully. She left it ajar so that her body could lean against the frame without revealing the contents of her room.

"Yes?" Bianchi eyed their lightly flushed faces with mild interest.

"Bianchi," Tsuna smiled, "this is Shirobara-san and she'll be staying here for a while. She needs, er…" Tsuna trailed off, mumbling nervously.

"Say that again?" Bianchi raised an eyebrow.

Nikoru noted that Tsuna was too timid to say it, so she took his place. "Uh, I was planning to take a shower but then I remembered that I didn't have a change of clothes including…panties." Nikoru blushed once more along with Tsuna. How much blood did the small boy have? It was strange how such a small body could contain so much blood.

"Oh, I see. I'll be right back." Bianchi went back inside and closed the door firmly.

Nikoru assumed she liked her privacy. She never saw her room in the Reborn! series. As Nikoru attempted to recall if they showed anyone else's room besides Tsuna, Bianchi came back holding a white tank top, black shorts, and a pair of black panties, however…

"Why are they lace?" Nikoru blinked and tried to remain in her calm façade. Inwardly, she was crying her eyes out theatrically.

Tsuna attempted to hold his nose-bleed in but soon failed and fainted from blood loss. Fortunately, not much blood was spilled - which Nikoru was grateful for.

"This is my only spare. The others are in the wash, not including the one I'm wearing." Bianchi explained in an emotionless tone, smiling at the almost imperceptible twitch forming under Nikoru's eye.

Nikoru sighed lightly. "I see. Thank you," she smiled appreciatively. Nikoru bowed her head and almost missed the warm smile Bianchi gave. Though small, it was still a genuine smile. Bianchi closed the door gently and returned to her business.

Nikoru turned so that she received full view of Tsuna's pale body. Was he okay? Nikoru inched forwards to the body, but was dismissed by a smirking Reborn.

"Don't worry," he assured her whilst trying to stop his sadistic smirk for growing. "I'll wake him up," his eyes flashed deviously. "You go take your shower now."

Nikoru bit her lips worriedly, but soon relented. Reborn's word was law, after all. Nikoru turned towards the bathroom door, thinking that she had some blood on her pale skin. She tensed up once the rust-like smell of blood wafted towards her sensitive nostrils. Suppressing an involuntary shudder, Nikoru hastily began breathing through her mouth, trying her best not to inhale the scent of blood.

Shirobara Nikoru never liked blood.

* * *

_Edited date: _23-08-10, 16-11-10, 09-12-10


	5. Enter: Hibari Kyoya

Chapter 5

_Enter: Hibari Kyoya_

Yamamoto Takeshi yawned as he rose out of his futon, stretching his arms with all the grace a skillful athlete possessed. He glanced at the clock and noted that it was seven a.m.

After going through his morning duties - which included brushing his teeth, taking a shower and putting his uniform on - Yamamoto knelt down by Yuri's make-shift bed. It was 7:10.

"Oi, Yuri, wake up." He shook her arm with his hand. Yuri rolled over, so she was now facing him but still asleep. He gently slapped her face. "Yuri, wake up. We have to go to Tsuna's." His voice held urgency, it was now 7:15, they had to be at school by 7:30 or Hibari would 'discipline' them. He shuddered at the thought.

"Mm…" Yuri groaned, fighting the urge to punch Yamamoto for waking her up. Her hair was slightly messy as she ran a hand through it, removing it of knots in the process. She peered at her roommate as he stepped towards the door. "What time is it?" More importantly, why was she up at this unholy hour?

"It's 7:17," he answered with a jovial grin. "Your uniform is in the closet and your shoes are downstairs, Oyaji got them for you." He opened the door. "I'm going over to Tsuna's first. You can head to Nami-chuu without me."

Yuri nodded sleepily and rubbed her eyelids, vaguely registering the click of the door as it closed. "Ugh, they wake up so goddamn early. And how does Takeshi remain so… energetic?" grumbled Yuri as she got dressed. Obviously, Yuri was not a morning person. Whenever she didn't wake naturally - which meant she slept for ten or more hours - Yuri would always turn into an irritable, cold or angry monster.

She pulled the borrowed pair of boxers up higher, they were a bit big. Yamamoto had given it to her after she asked him for some spare clothes. Yuri tore off her borrowed blue shirt and threw it on the floor unceremoniously, same with the brown pants. "Damn, I need to go shopping soon," she muttered aloud. "Why couldn't Majo give us some money or clothes?" She sighed at the thought of the wish-granting witch.

"Is that the way you should thank the person who fulfilled your wish?" Majo asked rhetorically as she appeared out of nowhere.

Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear, Yuri muttered inwardly. Witches these days. And what was with the people coming out of who-knows-were, i.e. Reborn, Majo.

"Sup," Yuri greeted the wish-granting witch casually as she finished pulling her black socks on. She was wearing the Namimori-chuu uniform, with the optional jumper. She rolled the sleeves of the jumper and shirt up. Her black socks stopped mid-thigh, a little under her skirt.

She entered the bathroom, and began brushing her teeth. As she placed toothpaste onto the brush, Majo went inside and started talking to her.

"It looks like you and Nikoru have started creating chaos already," giggled the fun-loving witch. She was dressed the same as the last time they met. "I've brought you your laptop, seems like you forgot." Yuri sent her an annoyed look and began rinsing her mouth. "I've put a spell on it so that it'll always return to you no matter what."

"Cool." Yuri was fascinated on the inside even though she didn't show it. Mornings always did that to her. "Oi, Majo, can you give me a couple of stuff? I need it for later on." She grabbed the blue bag that Nami-chuu students had to use and began listing what she required.

oOoOo

"Is that all?" asked Majo as she finished handing Yuri the stuff she needed.

"Yeah, thanks." Yuri was walking out the door and headed downstairs. Majo left the same way she came.

"I'll be leaving now, Ossan!" she snatched her bento that was tied in a blue handkerchief and grabbed a piece of toast and headed outside.

"Have a safe trip. Work starts at 5:30!" Tsuyoshi reminded Yuri as he sliced some fish.

"Okay!" She set off at a slow pace, taking her time. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and she started walking at a random direction.

After a few minutes of walking, Yuri stopped. She realized that she had no idea where she was going. "Crap, I'm lost. Double crap, I'm going to be late. ARGH! Takeshi! Ossan! I blame you for not giving me directions!" Yuri yelled angrily.

People turned to look at the girl. Some gave her weird looks, some ignored her as if she didn't exist, and few were thinking of helping her. It was now 7:20.

oOoOo

"Hm, that girl didn't ask for directions." Tsuyoshi frowned curiously. He shrugged, "She probably already knows where the school is." Tsuyoshi paused as sneeze exited through his nostrils. "Someone must be talking about me." Shaking his head as a dismissal, he returned to slicing the fish.

oOoOo

"No-good Tsuna, wake up," Reborn commanded as he stood next to the brunette's pillow.

"Nn, five more minutes, Mom," groaned Tsuna as he dug deeper into the covers.

"I'm not your 'Mom'," stated Reborn calmly but annoyance flashed in his large black eyes. "Guess there's no other choice." Reborn jumped off of the bed as a smirk spread across his curved lips.

Several seconds later, he came back but with a bucket of ice water in his chibi hands. Without warning, he dumped it all over Tsuna.

"HIII! REBORN!" He got up and out of the bed quickly. "Jeez, now the bed is soaking wet too," Tsuna whined was he shook water out of his head, resembling a dog.

"Tsuna-kun, you're awake! And soaking wet?" Nikoru face-vaulted. "Reborn-san, is this why you told me not to wake him up? So that you could torture him?" asked Nikoru exasperatedly. She was fully dressed in her uniform and her hair was tied in its usual ponytail. Along with uniform mandatory for girls to wear, was the Nami-chuu sleeveless jumper.

"Baka-Tsuna didn't wake up when I told him to," Reborn dismissed nonchalantly. He looked over at Tsuna. "By the way, you better hang your covers out to dry. You don't want to sleep in a cold, wet bed now do you?" Reborn inquired rhetorically with a smirk.

"Ha…what time is it?" Tsuna looked at the clock, the big hand was pointing to the 7 while the little hand was pointing to the 3, which meant it was 7:15. "HIII! We're late!"

He ran to the bathroom, took a super-fast shower, changed into his uniform, ran to the kitchen downstairs and ate his breakfast hastily.

"Tsu-kun, chew your food," scolded Nana as a brown tornado whipped past her.

"Sorry, late!" He ran outside to where Nikoru was standing and saw Gokudera and Yamamoto arrive.

"Yo, Tsuna!" Yamamoto smiled cheerfully with a quick wave.

"Good morning, Tenth!" Gokudera greeted politely.

"God morning, everyone," smiled Tsuna. "It's getting late, we should hurry."

With cries of affirmation, the teenagers started at a quick pace which inevitably turned into a quick sprint.

Looking around, Nikoru didn't seem to find Yuri. "Yamamoto-kun, where's Yuri?" she asked concernedly as they ran. She loved running, so she kept up with the others easily.

"I told her to go ahead. She seemed tired and I didn't want to drag her along to Tsuna's, so I let her go her own pace," Yamamoto explained as they neared the gates of Nami-chuu.

"Really? She must be already here then," Tsuna sighed in relief. Nikoru didn't say anything but she frowned, as if disagreeing.

Tsuna directed Nikoru to the main office and soon entered the classroom with Yamamoto and Gokudera.

Tsuna gave an uneasy frown. "I wonder where Kuraihana-san is, we didn't see her at all when we arrived." Tsuna hoped Yuri was safe, mostly because he was too kind, but a part of him just _knew _that if she was in trouble, it would inevitably lead back to him.

"Tenth, you shouldn't worry about that girl." Gokudera gave an assuring smile, Tsuna sweatdropped at his nonchalance. "She's probably off doing something foolish."

Tsuna laughed nervously and turned to Yamamoto. His athletic friend frowned contemplatively. Tsuna noticed the way his shoulders stiffened, as if he was going to leave and look for her. But before he could take more than a step, the bell rang, signalling the start of homeroom.

Tsuna hastily sat down and watched the uptight Nezu-sensei walk up to the desk. "We have a new student today," he announced in that gruff voice of his. Tsuna hid a cringe at the scratchiness of it. "Come in!"

Tsuna blinked as the majority of the class began whispering none-too-quietly.

"Is it a guy?" Kyaa, I hope he's as good-looking as Gokudera-kun," a random girl squealed. Tsuna noted that it was one of Gokudera's most annoying - err, loyal - fangirl.

"No," a male student denied with so much vehemence that made Tsuna jump slightly. "It has to be a girl this time!" There were several murmurs of agreement.

Tsuna secretly hoped it was Nikoru who transferred, with Yuri in the class, things would be even _more_ rowdy. Looking at his classmates that were so easily wound up at just the thought of a new student, Tsuna pictured how much worse it would be with the loud, brutally honest Yuri. Tsuna shuddered immensely at the prospect.

It should be Yuri, Yamamoto mentally stated. She should be here first and enrolled earlier than Nikoru had…unless she got lost. It seemed like something she would do. Yamamoto sweatdropped and berated himself for leaving her alone. Although with Yuri in the class, things would be much more fun.

Great, Gokudera remarked sarcastically in his enlightened mind. It was bad enough Reborn-san had invited those two girls to join the Tenth's Family, but now one of them was going to spend all day with them in class too. Che. Gokudera gave a heated glare that could melt steel, directing it at a random student's back.

All thoughts and whispers soon subsided as the door slid open and the new student walked in. There were mixed reactions.

oOoOo

After yelling angrily at the clouds that seemed to taunt her, Yuri was on the receiving end of some weird gazes but shrugged it off, who cared what others thought about her? Yuri continued strolling throughout the crowded streets of Namimori.

She had been walking around aimlessly for the past ten minutes. Yuri let out a frustrated groan and set off at a different direction, hopefully the one to Nami-Middle.

Yuri kept her fierce blue orbs on the ground, not bothering to look up since she had no idea where she was going anyway. She was also careful not to trip on an invisible rock, there were plenty of those nowadays. Even though she was being so very careful, she bumped into something. Something hard.

"Ow!" Yuri cried automatically as she squat down, clutching her aching forehead. "Did I bump into _another_ pole?" she hissed and was sure that more people were looking at her.

"Herbivore," a deep voice stated from above. Yuri blinked as she massaged her head. 'Herbivore'? Why did that sound oh-so familiar? Wait just a second…

"HOLY SHIT! A talking pole!" Yuri shouted gleefully and shot back on her feet.

However, instead of making a wonderful discovery of magical talking poles, all Yuri was met with was Hibari Kyoya. Yuri sighed, disappointed. How she wished to discover a talking pole. On the bright side, it _was_ THEHibari Kyoya - though it wasn't as awesome as a talking pole.

Strange. Why wasn't Yuri going into her Fangirl Mode? Oh well, Yuri shrugged, she must have gotten over his good looks. After all, being exposed to bishies for a while must have affected her in some way.

"Hn. I am not a pole," Hibari stated, giving Yuri an icy glare.

Yuri scanned the streets, ignoring Hibari's glare. For some reason, the streets that were crowded a second ago were now completely deserted. Hmm, dessert… Yuri inwardly laughed at her joke. Ahh, she was so funny.

Blinking, she immediately remembered Hibari was there, and he was still glaring at her. Compared to Nikoru's Shadow Smile, Hibari's glare was merely nothing to Yuri.

"Ah, my bad." Yuri nodded sagely. Was there any point in apologizing? Hibari was obviously standing there, acting as a wannabe-pole in the middle of a bustling street, so shouldn't he be the one to apologize? Yeah… Yuri's mind worked in weird, roundabout ways. "Hey, do you know where Nami-chuu is?" She decided to ne polite - something she only did when requesting something from a cold person.

Hibari blinked at the girl's sudden change in attitude. At first, she went from angry, depressed, realization, glee, indifferent, and then to polite. Why did strange people continue invading his town?

"Are you a new student?" Hibari lessened his glare. "I have difficulty identifying you." His mouth thinned.

"Yeah," answered Yuri, abandoning all courtesy. "I'm new, and lost. Can you take me there?" Her respectfulness was back in full force as she pleaded, placing her hands together as if praying to God.

"Fine," Hibari agreed impassively and led the way.

"Yay! Thanks!" Yuri cheered and followed obediently.

After several minutes of swift walking, the duo that should have never met each other reached the large school. That was extremely fast. Wait! Was the school that close the whole time? Yuri contained the rising impulse to hit something.

"Wow, what a beautiful school," Yuri complimented loudly, eying Hibari discretely as they entered the building. She chuckled deviously on the inside; she was obviously trying to get on his good side. Yuri wondered if it worked.

Hibari grunted in agreement and Yuri watched as the corners of his lips curved up into a miniscule smile.

Haha, it worked! Hibari was so easy to see through. Yuri did a victory dance on the inside as she cackled madly. On the exterior, she was smiling innocently.

Yuri was too busy caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't notice which classroom they had stopped at.

"This will be your class for the remainder of the year," Hibari said curtly, leaving no room for disagreement.

"Thanks for showing me the way," Yuri paused, unsure of what to call him. "I'm Kuraihana Yuri." She grinned, finally back to her casual, loud self. "And you are?"

"Hibari Kyoya," he nodded shortly. "Go to the Reception room after class." It wasn't a request.

Yuri hid a scowl with a fake smile. "Sorry," she wasn't sorry at all, "but I have work after school. Go to the Yamamoto Sushi Restaurant, I hear it's good." She smirked.

"Then come during lunch, bring your possessions with you. You owe me," and with that, Hibari left, his jacket billowing and swishing after him like a majestic cloak.

Note to self: Don't ask for any more favours. Also, find out how jacket stays on shoulders without slipping - check for glue. Yuri bit back a snicker. "Bye, Kyo-chan!"

Yuri watched as Hibari paused in mid-step before setting off once more, ignoring his newly-christened nickname.

Yuri turned to the door. Even though it was closed, she could still hear the loud conversations seeping through. Yuri slid the door open rather forcefully and entered the room.

oOoOo

The door opened and the new student walked in. There were mixed reactions.

Nikoru walked in nervously. There were many eyes on her for different reasons altogether.

Most of the girls were glaring or scowling at her, mainly because of how she looked. She had dark blue hair, while others had black or brown, she had amber-coloured eyes while others had black or brown.

Most of the male population of the class were staring at her, entranced by her beauty. They liked her for the same reasons that the girls didn't; she was beautiful and foreign.

"Everyone, this is Shirobara Nikoru. Please take care of her." The teacher told the class, though Nikoru was sure by the tone of voice that he really couldn't care less.

There was a chorus of 'yes', some were grumbles and others were loud cheers.

Nikoru's eyes travelled towards Tsuna, who gave her an encouraging smile which she returned. She opened her mouth about to speak, the class was leaning forward slightly wanting to hear her speak but then the door opened.

All eyes turned to the door, waiting to see who it was.

"Nikoru!" A voice screamed in delight as a blue figure tackled the girl. Somehow, Nikoru managed to stay standing as a blue haired girl was hugging her arm.

Nikoru slowly slid her arm out of the death grip and hit Yuri's head. "Baka, I was about to say something but then you came and interrupted." Nikoru's fist was shaking as a large vein popped up and was pulsing dangerously.

"B-But I missed you." Yuri sniffed as she rubbed the bump that was forming on her head.

Nikoru rolled her eyes at Yuri's theatrics and was about to retort, but the teacher spoke up.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily. The two girls were off in their own world, ignoring the rest of the class.

The students were shocked to see that the gentle-looking girl was quite aggressive towards the new-comer. The boys were immediately turned off, disappointed that Nikoru wasn't as perfect as Kyoko, Namimori-Middle's Number One Idol.

"Yosh! My name is Kuraihana Yuri, but you can call me Yuri!" she introduced herself energetically. "My likes are: anime, manga, money-" the class blinked and Nikoru made a face of affirmation, "-music, and cute things!"

"Now, my dislikes," Yuri continued, bubbly. "I don't like annoying fangirls, annoying idiots, perverts and bullies. So if I see anyone like that that's bugging me or my friends…" She took a deep breath, "Kamikorosu yo!" Yuri made a victory sign with her fingers and stuck her tongue out. It would have been cute if she didn't say that phrase.

The class froze up, including the teacher. Yuri was like a female Hibari, she hated annoying people and would beat them up of she wanted to, she even said his catchphrase. The class trembled.

Yuri and Nikoru blinked at the scene.

"Man! Whenever they hear his catchphrases' they freeze up! Does Kyo-chan actually want these people to see a psychologist in the near future?" Yuri asked rhetorically as she hollered with laughter.

"Kyo…chan? As in Hibari Kyoya?" Nikoru blinked once more.

"Yeah, that's the nickname I gave him," Yuri confirmed with a nod, she had stopped laughing soon enough.

"HIII! Kuraihana-san! You can't call Hibari-san that!" Tsuna warned hysterically.

"Hm? Why? It's part of his name, isn't it?" Yuri feigned confusion.

The rest of the class was shaking slightly, imagining Hibari's rampage once he heard his new 'nickname'.

Nikoru sighed, used to Yuri's stupidity. "Even if it is part of his name, no one calls him that. It's disrespectful," she explained calmly. "Anyway, why were you late this morning?"

The teacher went out of the room, mumbling something about it being Study Hall right now since the girls were chatting non-stop.

"Oh, I was late because a certain baseball-loving bastard dogged me and forgot to give me directions." Yuri smiled cherubically but was seriously annoyed on the inside.

"Oi, Yuri, that wasn't nice," Nikoru lectured, frowning.

"Jeez, he knows I'm only kidding. Right, Takeshi?" Yuri looked towards Yamamoto.

"Of course, Yuri!" Yamamoto was unfazed.

"Eh? You're living with Yamamoto?" a random boy asked disbelievingly.

"Ah," she replied lamely and yawned.

Yamamoto's fangirls were infuriated. A beautiful, foreign girl suddenly appeared and was living with their idol! Oh yes, they were livid. They began glaring at Yuri. But she was too tired to notice, or care.

"So tired…" Yuri's eyelids were drooping noticeably as she walked over to a spare seat and sat down.

Yuri gazed at the seat towards her left where Tsuna was sitting while watching her. The seat on her right was empty and she gestured to Nikoru that she should sit there; which she did, mainly because there were no other empty spots.

"Then how did you get here? Did you ask for directions?" Tsuna wondered aloud.

"Nope, Kyo-chan led me here." Tsuna's screech was blocked out by the sound of the bell. "Lunch, eh? And I just sat down too." Yuri got up and headed towards the door.

"Yuri? Where are you going?" Nikoru questioned her best friend.

"Kyo-chan told me to go see him. Since he led me here, I owe him." She sighed and walked out of the classroom.

"Hibari-san did? Ah! Kuraihana-san forgot her bento! Someone should run after her." Tsuna picked up Yuri's handkerchief-covered bento and held it in his hands but almost fell down. It was that heavy.

"Don't worry, she'll be back. Yuri would die before forgetting food." Nikoru assured Tsuna as she smiled fondly.

Soon enough, Yuri came back and snatched her bento from Tsuna, then left again.

Nikoru sighed. Tsuna was about to ask her what was wrong, but Yamamoto beat him to it.

"What's up, Nikoru? Does it have to do with Yuri?"

"Yeah."

"Huh? What is it?" Yamamoto put a thoughtful face on. He soon realized as his mouth formed an 'o' shape.

"What is it, Baseball-Idiot?" Gokudera wanted to know, not that he cared. He just didn't want to keep the Tenth waiting. Yeah, that was it.

Yuri chose that time to pop her head in through the door. "Oi, can any of you guys take to the reception room?" She scratched her cheek while chuckling nervously.

"You should do it, Tsuna." Reborn appeared through one of his many passageways located throughout the school.

"Reborn! Don't just pop out unexpectedly!" Tsuna shouted at the little hitman, which caused others to give him weird looks.

"Live with it, No-Good Tsuna," he ordered as grabbed Tsuna's finger with his tiny hand and twisted it.

"O-O-OUCH! I give!" Tsuna screamed in pain.

Reborn let go and smirked. "Actually, Gokudera should go, since Hibari doesn't like crowds." He looked over at the scowling teenager.

"Why should I, Reborn-san?" Gokudera shot back, displeased.

"It's training to become Tsuna's right-hand man," Reborn lied smoothly.

"Then, let's go! Come on, Bluehead!" Gokudera exclaimed, ecstatic at the chance to become Tsuna's official right-hand man.

"Who's a bluehead, you stupid dog?"

They kept arguing as they left the classroom. Tsuna, Nikoru and Yamamoto sweatdropped and started to eat their lunch in the now-peaceful room.

oOoOo

Yuri followed Gokudera throughout the school and towards the Reception room. Gokudera ditched her immediately once his job was done, leaving Yuri to herself.

Yuri walked in without knocking, seeing no need to as Hibari would just tell her to enter. Kuraihana Yuri didn't like wasting time…unless she was extremely bored and wanted to waste time through fun things, but that was an entirely different situation altogether.

She observed the pristine room, wondering if she should join the Disciplinary Committee in order to enjoy the certain luxuries enabled to them. Though she hoped to keep her hair the way it was. Yuri subconsciously tugged at her shoulder-length blue hair.

Yuri stood in front of an olive-coloured couch where a napping Hibari rested. "Oi, Kyoya," Yuri used his actual name when annoyed or by herself, "what am I going to do now?" She inwardly added a few more words - mostly insults. Honestly, while this guy was lazing around, Yuri could have eaten her lunch. Stupid school that opened so early, causing her to miss breakfast.

"Paperwork," Hibari lifted an arm and pointed to the large desk piled with sheets of paper. He didn't even need to sit up to do that. What a lazy guy.

Grumbling a few more insults, Yuri obediently sat at the desk and began reading and summarizing the important facts Hibari needed to know. Oh, how boring paperwork was.

Tree-planting Committee wanted to plant Sakura trees. Yuri snickered at this, knowing how Hibari would come to regret this decision after the whole Kokuyo incident.

Baseball Club needed new equipment. Well, at least the small part of Yuri's mind that was nagging her about repaying Yamamoto back would now shut up. Yuri made sure to rephrase it when reporting to Hibari.

Girl's bathroom needed new toilets since several were getting clogged all the time. Yuri shivered. She knew how troublesome that could turn out, seeing how she went to the toilet countless times back at her old school. Men had no idea how long the line for the women's toilets could be…

Yuri's monologue on toilets was immediately shoved away when a strict-looking Kusakabe burst in.

The elvis-like man strode over to the couch where Hibari was currently seated - when did he get up?

"Kyo-san, I found Otonashi and his gang smoking and cutting class in the courtyard," Kusakabe reported calmly.

"Hn, time to bite those herbivores to death." Hibari smirked coldly and headed towards the door.

Since she was done with some of the paperwork, Yuri wanted to see Hibari in action. "Kyo-chan, can I come too?" She tried her best to look innocent and jovial. Not waiting for an answer, since she couldn't care less whether he said no or not, Yuri rushed over to an indifferent Hibari and a bemused Kusakabe.

Soon enough, Yuri was met with the sight of three smoking third-years. She grimaced in disgust as the scent on tobacco reached her nose. She hated the smell of smoke, almost as much as Nikoru hated blood.

Yuri walked ahead, ready to give her 'senpais' an earful about how dangerous smoking was. She was really touchy when it came to underage smokers, it stemmed from the time when she found out one of her good friends smoked. She was disappointed that time and slowly distanced herself from her friend.

One of her 'senpais' rose and sauntered over to Yuri. He removed the cancer-stick from his blackened mouth. "What makes you think you can tell us what to do?" He breathed the smoke out, sending directly into her face.

Yuri's lips curled up in disgust. That boy was probably the leader, Otonashi, since he stood up to her first. It made sense that he was the leader, his lips were blackened from all the cigarettes he must have been smoking, and his words came out slurred, as if he had difficulty pronouncing them. Did cigarettes damage the brain too?

A feral growl emanated from the base of Yuri's throat, shocking the boy slightly. She clenched her fist tightly and punched Otonashi with all the strength she could muster. He flew a few meters back, skidding across the floor.

One of his followers let out a battle cry as he lunged towards Yuri. How dramatic was that? Yuri rolled her eyes and brought her foot out, tripping the idiotic boy.

Smirking smugly, Yuri entirely forgot about the third boy. She was busy dusting her hands together when she heard a cry from her right. Turning slightly, Yuri realized she had let her guard down. Yuri wasn't a skilled fighter; she only knew some of the basics and had immense brute strength.

"Shit!" Yuri cussed as understanding hit her. She crossed her arms up in front of her head, a futile attempt in order to block the blow heading her way.

Yuri opened an eye once she heard a sickening crunch and a groan. In front of her stood a triumphant Hibari, placing his tonfa away as the body of the last smoker slumped down, unconscious. Did Hibari beat him up when she was busy cowering? Damn it, she missed it.

"Herbivore, beating Namimori-chuu students up is against the rules," Hibari accused with a sadistic smirk.

Yuri clenched her fists in annoyance this time. Was he _KIDDING_? "You and the rest of the Disciplinary Committee beat students up on a daily basis!" Yuri protested, scowling fiercely. How could he say something and do another? H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E.

"Those herbivores broke the rules." Seeing how Yuri was about to retort, Hibari continued, "It is the Disciplinary Committee's job to teach them a lesson or two."

"I see." Yuri's jaw clenched. She tilted her head down so that her fringe could act as a curtain for her eyes, giving her a dramatic look. Yuri loved theatrics… well, only when she did them. For she, too, was a hypocrite - and she was proud to admit it.

Hibari was about to return to the Reception room, when Yuri spoke up once more. Gone was the anger in her voice. Gone was the upset look in her eyes. And gone was the slumped posture.

Yuri gave a hard stare at Hibari, her stormy eyes resolute. Her body stiffened, serious. "Then," her voice was firm, "how about I become a prefect too?"

Hibari's eyes widened. Yuri smirked victoriously. Oh ho, let the games begin…

* * *

_Edited date: _24-08-10


	6. Enter: Dino

Chapter 6

_Enter: Dino_

Nikoru let out a satisfied grin as she finished the homework Nezu-sensei had assigned. For some reason, Yuri was gone for the remainder of the day when she was supposed to only be gone for lunch. Therefore, Yuri didn't get the homework. Lucky.

Although, once Nikoru thought about it, Yuri would probably put it off til the last minute and then copy Nikoru's. Oh well, Nikoru didn't mind either way.

The rest of the day without Yuri making wise remarks was peaceful, in other words: it was boring as Hell.

Nikoru sat back and watched Gokudera and Yamamoto tried to help Tsuna with his work. She stifled a giggle as they got flustered over something so simple. The doorbell rang, though the boys couldn't hear it over the noise they were causing.

Shrugging, Nikoru called out an "I got it!" and strode swiftly towards the door. Nikoru twisted the knob and opened the wooden door. She blinked at the sight.

"Ah, Tsuna!" Cavallone Dino smiled, assuming that Tsuna would be first to open the door.

"Boss…" Romario sweat-dropped at his boss' clumsiness.

"Um, no," Nikoru grinned, amused. "I'm Shirobara Nikoru. Should I get Tsuna for you?"

"Eh? Dino-san?" a happy voice exclaimed.

Nikoru's grin widened. "Never mind then, Dino-san."

"Ciao, little bro," Dino gave a foxy grin. He peered curiously at Nikoru. "Ah, Nikoru, was it? Are you Tsuna's new Family member?"

"Of course." Reborn walked in, drinking a cup of coffee. "Ciao, Dino, this is only one of the two new members. The other one is currently busy." He smirked all-knowingly. Nikoru supposed that Reborn probably knew what Yuri was up to.

"Dino-san, why are you here? N-Not that I'm not happy to see you," Tsuna chuckled nervously and forced a pacifying smile, causing Nikoru's Inner Fangirl to squeal like mad.

Nikoru smiled and settled for ruffling his hair instead of hugging him like her Inner Fangirl insisted. He blushed lightly, used to Nikoru's hair-ruffling. Nikoru watched from the corner of her eye as Dino eyed them with interest.

That confused Nikoru. First Yamamoto gave them that look, and now it was Dino, how strange.

"I see," Dino acknowledged and had a thoughtful, yet serious, expression on. "Reborn, where is the other person?"

"You should ask Nikoru, she knows her better than anyone else here," Reborn gazed expectantly at Nikoru, as did Dino and Tsuna.

Nikoru was a bit uncomfortable being under everyone's attention. "Yuri's probably either with Hibari-san or at Yamamoto-kun's house." She looked at the clock, it was 5:00. "Eh? Already? Tsuna-kun, we have to get ready for work."

"Work? I'll come with you!" Dino said brightly. "Where are you working at?"

"At my restaurant," Yamamoto informed him with a breezy grin as he walked over. "Yo, Dino! Tsuna, we're ready to go." He had his bag with him, all packed and ready.

"Che, that Bluehead just had to drag us down with her," Gokudera sighed depressingly.

"Bluehead?" Dino's eyes held confusion, but he sported an amused smile.

Ah, poor Yuri, that nickname was going to follow her to the ends of the Earth. Nikoru smiled.

Yamamoto laughed. "It's the nickname Gokudera gave Yuri," he clarified for the blonde.

Deciding to stop further embarrassment for Yuri, Nikoru turned to the grinning Yamamoto. "Um, Yamamoto-kun, what does your dad do to workers who arrive late?" she asked innocently.

Yamamoto hummed thoughtfully before grinning once more. "He gives them a lecture and then throws them out of the restaurant," he replied, happy for some reason.

Other than the happy-go-lucky baseball player, the teenagers paled and immediately headed towards the door.

Nikoru watched as Romario insisted that he should drive Dino, but the Cavallone boss rejected the kind request and opted to walk with his little brother. Nikoru didn't know why, but she had a feeling that that wasn't the only reason he chose to walk with them.

After several moments of somewhat awkward silence, Dino spoke up. "Can you guys describe Yuri for me? Just so I can know what to expect," Dino smiled. "Tsuna, what do you think of her?" prompted Dino after no one volunteered.

Nikoru sighed quietly. People really did have to stop picking on Tsuna just because he was the unrequited boss. Well, people could dream, couldn't they?

"Kuraihana-san…" Tsuna struggled to find the correct words to describe her, "well, she's quite loud…and, uh, why don't you ask Shirobara-san?" he suggested brightly, happy to past the torch over to someone else.

Nikoru almost crashed down after hearing what Tsuna said. She blinked as Tsuna pleaded to her, looking like a beaten up puppy. Nikoru couldn't resist, he looked to cute!

With another sigh, Nikoru nodded and proceeded to explain about her exuberant friend. "Yuri is, in simple terms, loud, annoying, tough, and not feminine in the least. She shows her girly side through cute things, shoujo manga, and clothes. Yuri's childish, rude, stubborn, and short-tempered. She's basically a ticking time-bomb. Oh, and-"

Dino chuckled as he cut Nikoru off. "Thanks, but I think I have enough information for a vague description," he grinned.

"Those were just her bad points though, you haven't heard about her good points yet," Nikoru almost pouted, but refrained.

"Ha! What good points? She's nothing but a noisy girl," Gokudera said somewhat rudely.

Nikoru frowned but didn't say anything. Gokudera loved Yuri as much as a fat kid loved vegetables, Nikoru couldn't do anything about that. Sighing heavily, Nikoru decided that it should have been better to note Yuri's good points first… But then again, most people tended to notice her flaws first.

"Who's a noisy girl? You stupid old man!" the fuming voice of Yuri exclaimed.

Nikoru turned to the direction of the voice and stared. "Yuri, why are you wearing a maid outfit?"

Yuri smirked smugly. "Tsk, tsk. Nikoru, you should know that this isn't any ordinary maid outfit." She folded her arms in front of her chest, looking quite arrogant.

Nikoru sighed. "What, does it contain super powers?" she offered idly.

Yuri narrowed her eyes. "Maybe…" She cleared her throat. "Anyway, this is just like the maid outfit from _Kaichou wa maid-sama_. It's a perfect replica, thanks to _that_ person."

Nikoru nodded in understanding. Majo was _that_ person since the witch's name was taboo - well, taboo for Yuri - Nikoru was free to say Majo's name whenever se pleased. "It's a little, uh, 'suggestive', don't you think?"

Yuri shrugged. "It's cute," she reasoned. "Plus, I'm wearing shorts underneath. This outfit will attract customers, no matter how perverted. Customers are customers after all," Yuri grinned.

Nikoru raised an eyebrow at Yuri's devotion.

Yuri sighed at Nikoru's disbelief. "Ossan also said that as we make up for yesterday's loss of income, we're free. More customers equal more money. Money equals freedom. Freedom equals going crazy."

Now Nikoru understood. "You've given this a lot of thought."

"Of course. I don't want to spend the rest of my life working here."

"That's a bit exaggerated," Nikoru's lips curved into an amused smile.

"By the way, the four idiots are petrified," Yuri commented casually, inspecting her nails disinterestedly.

Nikoru turned and gazed at the quartet behind her. They resembled statues instead of humans, or maybe cardboard cut-outs. Either way, the blood drained from their faces and their eyes were bulged.

Nikoru understood why they would look so stunned. After all, with Yuri's appearance of a tough, not-exactly-feminine girl, it was hard to believe she was wearing something girly like a maid outfit. Nikoru was used to Yuri's weird antics by now, and wasn't as shocked as the boys. Sure, at first, Nikoru started slightly, but after her eyes had time to readjust, she was fine.

Yuri strolled past Nikoru towards the male Mafioso. She pulled out a black camera and snapped a few shots. Satisfied, Yuri grinned and walked back to Nikoru.

"Since when did you get a camera?" Nikoru asked as she furrowed her eyebrows. She was curious and a tad bit cautious. "You didn't steal it, did you?" she inquired apprehensively.

"Shut up! That was one time," Yuri puffed her cheeks up stubbornly. "No, I didn't steal it. _That_ person supplied me with this too," she explained, smirking. "Anyway, shouldn't we head into the restaurant?" She thrust her thumb in the direction behind her.

"I never noticed that the restaurant was right behind you," Nikoru whispered as she gazed as the Sushi Restaurant.

"You're so slow."

oOoOo

"Sup, Kyo-chan," Yuri greeted Hibari as though he were another normal person that didn't hold immense blood lust. Yuri sat on the seat opposite him, so that they were face to face. "I'm gonna take a break and chat to you," she flashed him a grin.

Work wasn't as fun as Yuri had expected. Hibari Kyoya seemed to be 'taking a break from patrol' - though Yuri knew he was there because she asked him to go - and entered the restaurant.

Tsuna was too afraid to serve him, Gokudera was washing dishes since he scared away practically everyone, Yamamoto was making sushi with his dad and Nikoru was busy serving others. In the end, Yuri had to do it, though she didn't seem to mind in the least.

"Herbivore, what are you wearing?" he asked without any emotion.

"A maid outfit?" Yuri suggested, enunciating for Hibari.

"Do not mock me," Hibari warned. "Take it off, or you'll attract unwanted herbivores." He eyed the men with lecherous grins on their faces.

Yuri was genuinely happy at Hibari's warning, but paid it no mind. With her brute strength alone - which wasn't much considering the certain people around her, though it was above any normal civilian's - Yuri was sure that the perverted men wouldn't be much trouble…probably.

Yuri smirked. "No, I will not take my clothes off!" she yelled, feigning outrage. Her vehement shout got some weird looks directed at the duo.

Hibari gave Yuri a chilling glare which was shrugged off.

Yuri was called by two customers and snickered at Hibari's expression as she walked away.

"Maid-san, we'll be leaving now, but could we ask you something, outside?" customer one inquired.

Yuri refrained from screaming in his face, after all, he was a customer. In Yuri's eyes, she merely viewed him and his friend as bags of money. "Sure," she answered sweetly, exiting the building.

Hibari watched sipped at his tea disinterestedly while yells and grunts were heard outside. His eyes flicked over to the seat opposite of him as Yuri re-seated herself. "What happened out there?" Hibari questioned indifferently.

"Ooh, is Kyo-chan interested?" she teased with a smirk. "Those money-bags, I mean, perverts tried to take advantage of me," she sighed exasperatedly. "But I took out my frustrations out on them, so I'm good," she flashed him a grin.

Hibari frowned at the vague information, but did not comment.

"Well, if you're not gonna order anything, I'm gonna leave. Bye-bye, I look forward to becoming your new servant," Yuri smirked.

Hibari gave her a cold stare, regretting his choice in giving Yuri the position as his secretary. He didn't want to make her a prefect yet, he wanted to see her true strength first.

"So what would you like, Dino?" Yuri was currently in front of Tsuna's self-proclaimed 'big brother'. Nikoru, who was serving a nearby customer, jumped when she heard Yuri call him by his name.

"How do you know my name?" Dino's eyes hardened with suspicion but other than that, he seemed no different than his usual self.

Yuri's facial expressions changed from realization, stress, relaxation, and then back to her previous mood, cheerful. This happened quickly that normal people wouldn't have noticed it, but Dino did. He _was_ the tenth Boss of the Cavallone family, despite what his clumsiness said otherwise.

"Magic," Yuri chirped with a dazzling smile.

Dino's face collided with the table, feeling the cold, hard wood.

"Are you okay? You seem like the clumsy type." Her smile turned into an amused grin. "My name is Kuraihana Yuri, nice to meet you."

"Ah, so you're the famous Yuri?" Dino rubbed his newly injured nose and flashed his award-winning smile that entranced many women back in Italy.

Unfortunately for Dino, Yuri wasn't like other girls.

Yuri frowned at Dino's sparkling smile and fought the urge to punch his face. Was she getting sadistic? Gee, she sure hoped not. For some reason, Dino's smile irked Yuri.

"I've heard a lot about you from your friend-" he gestured towards Nikoru who was serving a customer, "-and Reborn. I've seen you for myself, and you seem quite interesting." Dino remained smiling.

Interesting? Yuri raised a skeptical eyebrow and plopped herself on the seat opposite of Dino. Yuri sighed and threw a piece of gum unceremoniously into her mouth. "Work is boring," she said between chews. Yuri propped her chin onto the table.

"Kuraihana Yuri," Dino said in a serious voice.

Yuri tilted her head up slightly as she gazed into Dino's eyes, they were hard and cold. Yuri's eyebrows shot up with mild interest at the sudden hostility. Dino switched moods as much as Yuri did. Strange.

Dino met Yuri's bored gaze. "From my observations, Nikoru appears to be a normal girl who has been randomly involved with the Mafia. She has no intentions whatsoever and is easy to read. However, you're different. It's difficult for me to see why you've joined Tsuna's Family, especially with your almost undetectable dislike for them." Dino studied Yuri carefully, perceiving her reaction.

Yuri planted her face onto the table, idly thinking about how much of a boss Dino seemed presently. The only thing Dino was met with was a man of sky blue hair, making it hard to read her expressions.

A muffled sigh escaped Yuri as her fatigue reached her. She was too tired for interrogations. Honestly, couldn't Dino have just said: 'why did you join Tsuna's Family' instead of ranting. Sighing once more, Yuri brought her head back to its position prior.

Yuri grunted ambiguously. "You're suspicious of me because my intentions of joining Tsuna's Family are unclear," she summarized. At Dino's curt nod, Yuri huffed. "Well, I'm not using him for power or money or whatever idiotic humans desire."

Dino relaxed visibly but noted Yuri's usage of the word 'human'.

"My reason for joining Tsuna's Family…is so that I can ruin the tense atmosphere if it should arise, which it will since this is the Mafia after all." Like the scenes with Mukuro and Byakuran. Yuri smirked. "Ah, and too reprimand foolish hitmen too," she added while continuing to chew gum.

Dino was left nonplussed at Yuri's answer as the girl up and left. Well, at least he knew that Yuri wasn't going to harm his little brother or his friends. Yuri's answer left Dino wanting more distinguishable answers.

Why did Yuri use the word 'humans' instead of 'people'? Ruin the tense atmosphere, why? And reprimand foolish hitmen? What? That didn't make sense at all to the Bucking Bronco. One thought, however, escaped his lips. "Ah! I forgot to order," he muttered belatedly.

Yuri walked pass Nikoru and paused, causing to Nikoru halt automatically. "Ugh, there are so many _humans_ here," she murmured, feigning disgust.

Nikoru grinned at the inside joke. Once, when she and Yuri went to a festival, a girl had walked past them, muttering the same phrase Yuri had just recited. It was Yuri's favourite memory of all time.

Shaking her head at the amusing memory, Nikoru smiled as she waited for Dino to order. She scribbled down his order of a Tuna Roll before heading towards Yamamoto to inform him of the new order.

Reborn hopped up in front of Dino as Nikoru left. "Dino, what do you think of Yuri?" he asked casually.

"Reborn, you should already know," he sighed but continued nonetheless. "She's like a complex puzzle. It's hard to see what her true self is like. It's like she has split personalities. Maybe she's wearing a mask? But underneath that mask, is another mask," he finished with a calculating gaze.

"You're sounding more like a boss now, Dino," Reborn beamed proudly. "However, there is no need to worry. Yuri doesn't seem like she has any bad intentions. And if she does, Tsuna and the others can take of her," he assured his ex-pupil.

Dino sighed once more. "If you say so, Reborn, I believe in your judgement," he smiled softly.

Nikoru returned a second after Reborn left with a smirk. "Sorry for the wait," she smiled and placed the plate of sushi in front of Dino.

Before Nikoru could leave, Dino fired off a question revolving throughout his mind. "Nikoru, why are you and Yuri friends? You two are complete opposites."

Nikoru grinned at the truth in Dino's words. "It seems that way, doesn't it?" she smiled. "Even though Yuri appears hard on the outside, she really does care for the ones she loves. Though, she does have a hard time expressing her feelings," Nikoru shook her head in amusement.

"I admire her out-going personality, unlike me, she says whatever she wants and doesn't care what others think. I'm shy and quiet towards people I don't know - well, that's what Yuri says," she rolled her eyes.

"And Yuri talks non-stop, even with people she just met." She chuckled, "everyone somehow manages to become her friend, even if they're unwilling." Nikoru's eyes adopted a far-away look, as though she were reminiscing.

Nikoru blinked back to reality and grinned. "Ah, sorry, I was talking too long, wasn't I? I'll leave you to your meal," she laughed uncomfortably and walked away.

Dino just sat there, contemplating their one-sided conversation. He nibbled on his sushi and thought of how much Nikoru had talked about Yuri. Since they first met, they hadn't talked much at all. Nikoru was really quiet and withdrawn, but when they got onto the topic of Yuri, she completely opened up.

Dino was on his second roll of sushi, when Tsuna spoke up. "Dino-san, why are you still here? It's closing time," Tsuna sweatdropped as he watched his supposedly 'older brother' fumble around.

"Dino, you should stay over at Tsuna's for the night, I'll let your subordinates know." Reborn offered.

Since Dino knew that he should never turn down an offer from Reborn, he accepted.

Yuri called Nikoru over. "Here, take this," she handed Nikoru an iPhone. "It's an exact replica of the one you have at home. No need to thank me," Yuri grinned broadly. Despite her statement, she was expecting a thank you.

Instead of expressing her gratitude, Nikoru peered at the device in her hands. "How did you get this?"

Yuri stared at Nikoru impassively. "What? Not gonna accuse me of stealing this time?"

"Oh, no," Nikoru blinked as she watched Yuri stumble. "Majo gave it, didn't she?"

Yuri grunted in affirmative. "Don't forget to ask Dino to play with Enzio," she smirked as Nikoru perked up at the thought of playing with the small turtle. Yuri waved goodbye to everyone, though her smile was slightly forced when it came to Dino. The smile still sent shivers down her spine.

"Yuri!" Tsuyoshi called. "Throw these outside in the larger bins, okay?"He handed her two large plastic bags to the annoyed Yuri.

Sighing, Yuri walked out to the alleyway that was lit by the streetlights, and threw the black bags away. "Ossan wastes so much food, I swear," she grumbled as she opened up one of the bags. As she suspected, the contents were mostly leftovers from the restaurant.

Yuri huffed and left the bags open for any wandering cats, or homeless people. "Stupid customers wasting good food, but when I scold them, Ossan shouts at me. It's not my fault they're so reckless," Yuri scowled as she recounted her experience with the hopeless customers.

Didn't they know that some people in the world - mostly children - lived off of less than one dollar a week? Or was it a day? Yuri shook her head rid of the thoughts. Her geography teacher had repeated that so many times, Yuri had trouble getting rid of it.

She gazed up at the sky and decided to walk around the streets of Namimori. It was either taking a stroll or helping Yamamoto with the dishes. Yuri obviously chose the former.

Most shops were already closed, people were getting ready for bed, the streetlights were lit, and the stars were already up in the dark night sky. In short, it was a picturesque scene.

Ignoring the perverted leers several men were giving her, Yuri flipped open her neon-blue phone and checked the time.

Suddenly, something collided against her stomach. There was a thud, but Yuri was still standing. She put her phone away and kneeled down, there was a boy positioned on his rear. Yuri recognized who it was immediately. Her eyes bulged.

* * *

_Edited date: _05-09-10, 25-09-10


	7. Enter: Fuuta, Ken, Chikusa, Mukuro

Chapter 7

_Enter: Fuuta, Ken, Chikusa, Mukuro_

Yuri bit her lip and looked down at the jumpy figure. It was Fuuta. The ranking boy was shaking slightly in fear. He sat on the pathway and looked up at Yuri, his face brightened immediately.

"Yuri-nee!" he chirped, clearly happy to see her. Fuuta jumped up off of the ground and hugged her waist.

Yuri happily hugged back. The two had met at the Sushi Restaurant, Yuri was serving his table along with Nana and the other residents of the Sawada home. Yuri took a liking to Fuuta, mainly because he was cute.

"Fuuta, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at Tuna-kun's?" Yuri asked worriedly. It was getting pretty late.

"T-there are some people chasing me, they're after her ranking book." Fuuta looked up at her, eyes watery. He looked like a small animal in need of help.

Yuri's fist clenched while she scowled deeply. "Who was it," she muttered darkly, making it sound like a demand rather than a question.

Fuuta stiffened slightly at her instant change of mood.

"There he is!"

Yuri and Fuuta snapped their heads up towards the voice. Running towards them were three teenagers wearing blazers and trousers that were a swampy green colour.

Kokuyo students! Realization dawned in Yuri's eyes. "Fuuta, let's run!"

Fuuta nodded meekly in response as Yuri held his hand. They began dashing swiftly and started panting heavily. Fuuta was still quite young and strained his little legs to stay ahead of the gruff-looking teenagers.

Why did she skip PE? Yuri hung her head in shame, trying to keep her eyes on her feet just in case of any invisible rocks. But there was no time to think of such things. Yuri's eyes were serious and her face was calm, all traces of panic and childishness were gone. They seemed to be ahead of the Kokuyo students but couldn't stop. Yuri looked over to Fuuta, he was sweating profusely. Damn, they couldn't go on much longer.

"Fuuta," Yuri whispered hurriedly, "let's turn here." She didn't wait to see if he would follow her order, she knew he would anyway. The two turned into an alleyway as the Kokuyo students kept running straight, narrowly avoiding them.

Fuuta instantly calmed down and tried to catch his breath, Yuri wasn't as naive however.

Yuri was thinking of a way to get back home safely. Why was Mukuro attacking so quickly? Was it time already? Damn. What could she do now? Yuri couldn't let them capture Fuuta when she could stop them. But, she couldn't mess up the plot line either. Yuri decided that she just had to wait and see what happened next. Yuri sighed, what an exhausting day.

"Thank you, Yuri-nee!" Fuuta smiled cutely, Yuri couldn't help it but hug him.

"Aw, anything for you, Fuuta," Yuri said as kneeled down and hugged Fuuta again. This time, she rubbed her cheek against the top of his head affectionately.

"Ooh, what do we have here, byan?"

Yuri tensed. Only one idiot she knew of used 'byan'.

"Ken," a quieter voice said, "let's just do what Mukuro-sama asked." He looked towards a whimpering Fuuta.

"But, Kakipi," the first voice, Ken, whined, "what about this girl, what do we do about her?" Ken frowned and sneered at Yuri, which earned him a nasty glare that could freeze the sun. He looked away.

Chikusa watched Yuri with mild interest. Yuri scared away Ken with a glare; normally Ken would scare away others, not vice versa. "Let's take her with us." As Ken opened his mouth to protest, Chikusa explained, "If Mukuro-sama thinks she's useless, then he will dispose of her."

Yuri felt a growl forming from the back of her throat. "What makes you think that I'll come along quietly?" she asked rudely, hugging Fuuta closer towards her. On the bright side, she would get to see Mukuro…and annoy him.

"Then we'll knock you out first." Chikusa pushed his glasses up, as they were slipping. He pulled out one of his yo-yos and as he swung it, needles shot out. The needles glinted eerily as the light from the moon shone brightly. The sharp and small tips were coaxed in a peach liquid.

Yuri tried to dodge but she remembered that Fuuta was still under her arms. If she dodged then Fuuta would be hit. "Shit," she cussed as she was hit. The peach liquid was a sleeping toxin. Yuri grimaced in realization as darkness overwhelmed her.

oOoOo

Tsuna walked down stairs and into the kitchen. "Good morning," he muttered sleepily.

Nana, Bianchi, Lambo, I-pin and Nikoru were sitting around the dining table, looking at a few posters. Dino already left early in the morning.

"Good morning, Tsuna-kun," greeted Nikoru. She wasn't as cheerful today, after all, _it_ was starting. The posters on the table were proof of that. The Kokuyo Arc had commenced. Nikoru sighed exasperatedly.

"Ah, good morning, Tsu-kun," Nana greeted her only son brightly. It was a wonder how she always remained lively even in the mornings.

Tsuna walked over to the fridge, grabbed a carton of milk and gazed curiously at the posters. Nana and Reborn explained what had happened during the weekend.

"I'm worried that you'll be attacked too, Tsu-kun. You're in Namimori Middle as well," Nana said, smile slipping a little.

"No, it's probably someone who has a grudge against the Disciplinary Committee," Tsuna murmured.

How wrong he was. Nikoru frowned, but ended up laughing at the attempts to teach Tsuna made by I-pin and Lambo.

"Well, let's head to school," Nikoru suggested after several moments of relaxation.

"Okay, I'll be leaving now!" Tsuna called out and left with Nikoru. Reborn was walking along the fences.

As the trio reached the school, they met quite a sight. The prefects of the Disciplinary Committee were guarding the gates on Namimori-chuu, looking as menacing as possible.

"I wonder if someone really does have a grudge against the Disciplinary Committee," Tsuna murmured and stared at the prefects.

"That's not it," a deep voiced replied.

Tsuna started. "Geh, Hibari-san!"

The trio turned around and gazed at Hibari with mixed emotions.

Tsuna, though obviously frightened of Hibari, did not show any outward proof of it.

Reborn watched impassively as Tsuna's unofficial Family member made an effort to speak more than one word presently.

Nikoru started slightly as Hibari's cold gaze drifted to her. Despite the fact that Nikoru knew Hibari wouldn't do anything to her, as long as she kept to herself, his blank stare unnerved her somewhat.

"Herbivore, where is your friend? As part of the Disciplinary Committee, she shouldn't be late." The corners of Hibari's mouth twitched downwards.

Nikoru blinked, caught off-guard at the topic. "I'm not sure," she answered truthfully. "Yuri should be with Yamamoto-kun, since she lives with him." Nikoru tilted her head to the side quizzically.

Hibari didn't have time to reply as whirled around, tonfa out, and hit Shamal across his front. A girl squealed loudly and ran away.

"Doctor Shamal!" exclaimed Tsuna.

Nikoru was too busy taking her iPhone out to pay attention to what was taking place around her. Since Hibari had mentioned Yuri's absence, a sense of foreboding crawled up Nikoru's skin. Just to make sure Yuri hadn't simply slept in or gotten lost again, Nikoru decided to text her boisterous friend.

"I felt an evil intent. It must have been her imagination," Hibari said without an apology and walked away. He paused and felt his neck, a mosquito flew past him, but he payed it no attention and continued walking.

Tsuna sighed in relief while Shamal and Reborn were quietly muttering to each other. As the Namimori school anthem popped up, Tsuna looked around in search of it. He blanched when he discovered that the anthem was Hibari's ringtone. Tsuna shook his head incredulously. He couldn't believe how…loyal Hibari was to the school, despite his outward apathetic appearance.

Hibari informed the teenagers - though Nikoru had too much on her mind to register his words - that the attackers had gotten to Sasagawa Ryohei.

As they walked towards Namimori Hospital, Nikoru sighed. Yuri wasn't picking up her phone, nor was she replying to the text messages. Just what _was _Yuri doing…?

Tsuna, Nikoru, and Reborn entered Namimori hospital and went up to Ryohei's room.

"I want that guy's punch in the boxing club so bad!" Ryohei roared vehemently, seemingly forgetting the fact that he was in a hospital. Stuck in bed or not, he was full of energy. Tsuna laughed tentatively while Nikoru gave him a look of disbelief.

Kyoko entered, thanking Tsuna and Nikoru for visiting her brother. Ryohei smoothly told his little sister that he was simply climbing a bathhouse's chimney. Nikoru raised both eyebrows. What was even more bizarre than the excuse was the fact that Kyoko actually bought such a lie. _Now_ Nikoru knew why Yuri didn't like Kyoko as much as she would have. Nikoru sighed. Yuri loved cute things - especially people - but hated stupid people a lot more.

The trio exited the hospital room in order to allow the siblings time for themselves. Tsuna and a fellow Namimori Middle student were worshipping Hibari as though he were God. Nikoru smiled and was a bit miffed at their antics. Reborn was too busy thinking to reprimand Tsuna.

"Ah! What is that?" Tsuna crouched down while Nikoru was still standing. Something green was wiggling on the floor.

"Leon's tail was cut off," Reborn stated as he held it in his hands. "This occurrence…is ominous."

Kusakabe was rushed in on a gurney by the doctors and nurses. Reborn tossed the continuously changing Leon to Tsuna and ran to get something off of Kusakabe. Nikoru took Leon and started playing with his shape-shifting forms.

"There's no doubt about it, Tsuna, they're after you. This is a countdown." Reborn was deathly serious. "Take a look at this," he handed Tsuna a sheet of paper, "this is Fuuta's."

"EH?" Tsuna shrieked loudly.

Reborn explained to Tsuna about the vow of silence called 'Omerta'. Leon suddenly changed into a mini-Fuuta, which caused Nikoru to jump. It was weird seeing Leon's chameleon eyes on Fuuta. Nikoru held back a shudder and handed him back to Reborn.

"If number four is Kusakabe, then Number 3 is…" Tsuna's eyes dashed as he read the sheet of paper. "No way!"

"You and Nikoru go. I have to check something out," the baby hitman dismissed curtly and left.

"We have no time to waste, Tsuna-kun." Nikoru ran towards the stairs. "Let's go!"

Tsuna nodded determinedly and stumbled behind.

oOoOo

Yuri groaned softly as she sat up. She brought a hand up and clenched a fist full of blue hair. "Ouch, damn, how long was I out for?" she muttered, not expecting a reply.

"Kufufu. Is Sleeping Beauty finally awake?" a voice asked mockingly.

Yuri sighed exasperatedly with a face that read 'oh, God, take me now' and looked towards the illusionist. Mukuro was sitting on a green couch, his elbows on his lap and hands connected together in front of his mouth.

There were grunts and battle cries outside, signalling that Hibari must be arriving already. Oh well, there was nothing to do but wait. Yuri sat cross-legged and stared at the ground, ignoring Mukuro completely. Huh? Wait, what? "Why am I still in my maid outfit?" Yuri murmured quietly with a scowl.

Mukuro smiled at Yuri's irritation. "Ken and Chikusa brought you here like that. You were already wearing that maid cosplay." He smirked at Yuri's attire.

Yuri huffed impatiently. "It's not a cosplay!" she declared angrily and stood up, fists were shaking by her sides.

"Oya, oya. Feisty, aren't we?" Mukuro arched an eyebrow.

Yuri stared at Mukuro. "Pervert," she whispered almost inaudibly.

Mukuro's trained ears heard Yuri's comment perfectly. His smile became a tad bit strained. "As if I would take an interest in you," he taunted.

Yuri glared at Mukuro but it turned into a pout. "Bastard!" She ran towards him, fist ready to punch, when somehow, she tripped over an invisible rock and fell flat on her face.

Yuri winced and clutched her nose in pain, hoping that it wasn't deformed. She turned over so she was now sitting with her feet were stretched out in front of her. Yuri got up on her feet, but it was a bad move to make. Yuri immediately sat back down and grabbed her ankle.

"What's wrong, Ojou-chan?" Mukuro asked.

Yuri paused and idly wondered if she heard worry penetrating Mukuro's voice. Yuri shook her head in order to dismiss her crazy thoughts. Maybe she hit her head too?

"I think I sprained my ankle," Yuri ground out between clenched teeth.

Mukuro's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He did _not_ want to hear her complaints about the pain. Women. Mukuro fought the urge to roll his eyes at the thought of M.M.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Yuri gave Mukuro a large grin. It was fake, but he didn't need to know that.

Mukuro frowned and kneeled down so that he was at Yuri's level.

As a reflex reaction, Yuri quickly folded her knees closely to her chest. "What are you doing?" she asked, suspicion in her tone.

"Confirming if you really are alright," he replied nonchalantly and leaned closer towards Yuri's left ankle. He wrapped his hand around it.

Yuri cringed slightly at the extra pressure placed onto her injury.

Mukuro grasped Yuri's ankle as though trying to squeeze it.

Yuri, unable to stop herself, hissed in pain. "W-What are you doing?" She tried to keep the stutter out, but it, unfortunately, didn't work.

Mukuro loosened his hold but her ankle remained throbbing in pain.

"Look, you're _not_ alright." Mukuro smirked smugly.

Yuri glared at him, which earned her another excruciatingly tight squeeze. Yuri couldn't hold the scream of pain back any longer and let it out. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Unfortunately, Hibari chose that inconvenient time to make his appearance.

Footsteps came closer as the Kokuyo student, who was 'guarding' the room the duo were in, grunted and collapsed in pain as Hibari took a strike at him with his tonfa.

"What are you doing?" Hibari demanded icily while glaring at Mukuro. He turned his gaze to Yuri.

Yuri really didn't want him to me in that pathetic form. Well, there went her chances of becoming a prefect.

Mukuro stood up, but he pressed onto Yuri's ankle to heave himself up.

A tear of pain slid down her cheek. Sadistic bastard. Yuri tried to muster up a scowl, but failed as the pain caused her to feel defeated.

Kuraihana Yuri hated pain; it was actually her biggest fear.

"Kufufu. Isn't it obvious?" Mukuro glanced briefly in Yuri's direction. "We're busy," he smirked deviously.

Hibari's eyes narrowed in anger. After all, the man who has been beating up students from Namimori was suddenly leaning towards a slightly shaken student wearing a maid outfit…

Yuri decided it was time for her to kill the mood. "Rape," she accused, loud enough so that the other occupants of the room heard.

Yuri was met with incredulous and slightly irritated stares. Inwardly, she was smirking like mad, but on she maintained a blank face outwardly.

"Harming the students of Namimori is intolerable. For that, I will bite you to death," Hibari stated monotonously while spikes formed all over his tonfas. He directed an icy glare towards the direction of Mukuro.

Oh! Yuri nodded in understanding. _That_ was why Hibari's Box Weapon was a hedgehog. It made sense now. Ugh, she was getting slower. Damn you, Nikoru!

oOoOo

Nikoru sneezed as she rubbed her nose. Hmm, was she catching a cold?

"Are you alright, Shirobara-san?" Tsuna gazed worriedly at Nikoru, which caused him to trip slightly.

They were on their way to Namimori-chuu. Wasn't this the bit where Haru, I-pin and Lambo managed to capture Tsuna? Nikoru blinked as she tried to recall what exactly happened in the episode.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nikoru gave him a reassuring grin. "Oh, you might want to watch out."

Tsuna furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, having no idea what Nikoru's mildly-stated warning meant.

There was a strange sound behind them, as though someone was firing from a canon or bazooka. As Tsuna and Nikoru ran, they glanced back. A huge net was about to fall upon them. Nikoru quickly ran towards the right, while Tsuna was caught.

Nikoru dashed towards him and ripped the net off, never missing a beat. Haru gave a strange explanation as to why they shot a net at Tsuna. Nikoru sweat-dropped at the weird reason, but it was the thought that counted, right?

"Tsuna-kun, how about we try to call Gokudera-san? You have his number, don't you?" Nikoru gazed expectantly at Tsuna. She already knew that he did, but wondered how he got it. After all, from what she knew, Tsuna didn't have a cell phone.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Tsuna agreed.

Nikoru gave Tsuna her iPhone, but he simply stared at the hand-held device.

"Uh, what's wrong?" Nikoru asked, confusion clear in her voice.

Tsuna looked away, as though embarrassed. "I don't know how to work it," he muttered softly while looking at the ground dejectedly.

"Oh!" Nikoru exclaimed in realization. Not many people knew how to work the iPhones at first, but after a while you got used to it.

Nikoru laughed happily. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, Tsuna-kun," she told him softly with a smiled. "Most people don't know how, including Yuri…" Nikoru trailed off, reminiscing about the time Yuri had almost smashed her iPhone in anger and confusion. "So, what's Gokudera-san's number?"

Tsuna snapped out of his depression with a grin and obeyed.

Nikoru placed the phone against her ear. After several beeps, Nikoru sighed dejectedly. "No luck."

Tsuna groaned but stopped instantly as two girls from a different middle school walked by. "Could it be…?" Tsuna-kun stared wide-eyed as they finished talking about how a Namimori-chuu student was fighting against a Kokuyo one.

"It could, let's check it out anyway," Nikoru decided. If they hesitated even more, then Gokudera would be in trouble…and the plot-line would be messed up.

The two began running once more. Worry was obviously plastered on Tsuna's face.

Nikoru ran ahead as sweat began to form on her brow. Running was good exercise, after all. Nikoru hadn't gotten the chance to run so much in ages, it felt refreshingly good. A grin slowly spread across her lips and she looked over at the tired Tsuna. Nikoru's happy mood appeared to be contagious since Tsuna's lethargy suddenly vanished as he smiled too.

Their cheerful atmosphere disappeared abruptly once an explosion resounded. The smell of smoke wafted towards Nikoru's sensitive nose, she started coughing vehemently.

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna shouted frantically. He relaxed as soon as he saw the aforementioned boy.

Besides a few scratches here and there, Gokudera seemed absolutely fine. "Tenth! What are you doing here?"

Nikoru stared blankly as she was being so blithely ignored. Oh well, she tended to blend in with the background easily. Yuri always forgot that Nikoru was right beside her, as Nikoru was constantly reminded. Maybe it was because she was quiet and didn't draw much attention to herself…

Gokudera was quite happy to see his boss, so much that he seemed to ignore his surroundings altogether. Gokudera knelt down and explained to his boss about the current situation and how the enemy was 'killed'. Tsuna and his right-hand man looked at the spot where there was a giant scorch mark.

"You saved me a lot of trouble," a quiet, deep voice said. Chikusa.

Tsuna and Gokudera snapped their heads in the direction of Chikusa. Nikoru grimaced as she took in his appearance. Chikusa looked half-dead, the sleeves of his Kokuyo uniform were torn and blood was splashed here and there. Chikusa gripped his yo-yos, one in each hand.

Nikoru's eyes widened, noting the sudden jerk of the hands gripping his weapons. Chikusa was about to throw the needles onto Tsuna. Nikoru knew that Gokudera would loyally jump in the way, but she couldn't just stand there and watch without doing anything.

"Look out!" Nikoru tackled Tsuna-kun down out of reflex. An audible 'thud' and 'splat' was heard.

"Tenth, please run," Gokudera pleaded, his voice hoarse and dry. He collapsed as the needles seeped into his skin, drawing blood.

The rust-like smell of blood made Nikoru nauseous. Her nose always picked up even the slightest smell. All that blood was too much, and so Nikoru fainted from dizziness. Damn it, she can't do anything…she was so useless. The last thing Nikoru heard was Tsuna's panicky voice and the sound of footsteps.

oOoOo

Yuri used her wrists to heave herself up so that she could sit on the couch. She watched as the two S&M combination fought each other relentlessly. If she could even call it a fight, that is. All Mukuro did was use his illusions and rant on and on about Sakura-kura while Hibari swayed left and right during the explanation.

Yuri hummed to the tune of _Sakura Addiction _- a fitting theme for the scene in front of her - which caused Mukuro to stop in the middle of kicking and hitting his bloodied-up opponent. It seemed more like a bitch-fight than a normal fight, but meh. That was just Yuri's opinion.

"Ojou-chan, what are you doing?" He gazed at Yuri with his bi-coloured eyes.

"Hmm? Oh, just humming since I kinda forgot the lyrics," Yuri laughed awkwardly.

"No, aren't you worried about what I'm doing to your…boyfriend?" His mouth thinned slightly at the word in disgust.

Yuri supposed that he dislike using such an intimate term. After all, the leader of the Kokuyo gang that escaped from the impregnable Vindicare prison saying the word 'boyfriend'? Wow, that sounded really…weird when Yuri stopped to think about it.

Yuri began laughing as though there was not tomorrow. "No, Kyo-chan is not my boyfriend." She rubbed her sides which hurt from laughing so much.

Mukuro continued staring at me as though Yuri was a freak, which she probably was. This girl didn't fear him at all. That was…strange. Everyone who took one look at his eyes knew that he was to be feared. Mukuro idly wondered if he had a superiority complex.

But the girl only looked at him warmly, as though she wanted to befriend him. That was an alien feeling for Mukuro. The girl also gazed at him with slight pity. Why would she pity him? Did she know of his past? No. It was not possible.

Hibari instantly glared at Yuri for her comment. Of course someone would be misled and think that he and the girl were in some sort of relationship, especially with that insufferable nickname she gave him. What a ridiculous idea. Hibari would have scoffed if he didn't want his indifferent mask to be shattered.

"Kyoya is like a cloud; always drifting away freely, never letting anyone or anything restricting him." Yuri gazed at Hibari reminiscently. "He's just my senpai…and I am his servant," the last comment hit her like a pile of bricks and a gloomy aura surrounded her body.

"So, you're just going to continue watching me beat him up?" Mukuro smirked evilly at Hibari.

"Just not the face, please!" Yuri begged.

Mukuro raised a well-defined eyebrow at her request.

Yuri clarified, "Well, I have to look at his face every single day, so not the face. Everywhere else is fine though." She flashed them both a smile. If looks could kill, Hibari would be murdering Yuri over and over again.

"Kufufu. Now, where were we?" Mukuro asked rhetorically. He looked down and began brutally kicking and hitting Hibari again.

Yuri secretly took a picture of Hibari's bloodied-up form with her camera. It made great blackmail.

oOoOo

Huh, why was it all black? Oh, her eyes were closed. Where was she? Was she in the hospital? Ugh, Nikoru hoped not.

Nikoru's ears picked up the sound of cheerful laughter. It must have been Yamamoto-kun.

"Yamamoto Takeshi, what's so funny?" a low-pitched, yet feminine, voice asked.

This was where Yamamoto tried to answer Bianchi's question. That must have meant that Nikoru was in the school's infirmary. Nikoru's eyes flew open, as soon as she got up, the conversations halted.

"Shirobara-san!" Tsuna called over to her. Nikoru was on the opposite side of Gokudera's bed.

"Nikoru-chan!" Doctor Shamal ran over to her with his lips puckered up.

Nikoru placed her hand on his forehead trying to prevent the perverted man from coming any closer. Fortunately, Bianchi hit him with the gift basket meant for her brother.

Tsuna shook his head in disbelief at Shamal's antics before turning back to Nikoru. "Thank goodness you're okay! Yamamoto helped carry you and Gokudera-kun to the infirmary safely. But what happened to you? All of a sudden, you fainted," Tsuna wondered innocently.

"Oh, um, well you see," Nikoru wasn't sure on how to start. "Whenever I see or smell a lot of blood I get light-headed and dizzy. My nose picks scents up easily, so there must have been too much blood for me to handle," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Eh? No way!" Tsuna screeched disbelievingly.

Nikoru wouldn't believe it either had she not been the person in question. A member of one of the biggest Mafia Family was afraid of blood? That was _too_ unlikely. Nikoru sighed and walked out of the infirmary with Tsuna.

"HIII! I shouldn't have gone; I just got in his way." Tsuna squatted down and clutched his head.

"Tsuna-kun, don't be too hard on yourself," Nikoru comforted him gently and ruffled his hair.

"There's no time for regrets, Tsuna." Reborn jumped down from the sick-looking Leon. He explained to us about Rokudo Mukuro and the jail break.

"So we're fighting against the mafia?" he asked, pulling on his brown locks of hair.

"It's the opposite; they were thrown out of the mafia," Reborn stated mysteriously.

"What am I going to do?" Tsuna was frightened.

Reborn read out the letter, written by the Ninth, sent to Tsuna. "P.S. If you refuse, you'll be treated as a traitor and will be kille-" He didn't get to finish reading it out, however, as Tsuna fled while screaming that it had nothing to do with him.

Reborn disappeared after him. Nikoru sighed and recalled that this was where Tsuna made a speech about how he hated Mukuro. Nikoru hastily ran after them. But first…

oOoOo

"Oi, Mukuro," Yuri began as Mukuro took a seat next to her, "why did you lend me those bandages?" she asked, tapping her newly bandaged ankle.

"You seemed to be in pain, even though you tried to hide it," he stated airily. What was he supposed to say? Oh, I'm trying to get on your good side so that I can extract information about the Vongola out of you? That would certainly go _real_ well.

"I see." Yuri had a feeling that it was an attempt to distract her from her previous question, but she might as well play along. "Hey, why are you keeping me here?" The question had only come to her mind recently. Stupid, really.

"Considering how you fought to protect that boy so much, I figured that you were somehow related to the Vongola," he explained. Well, she wanted to know why, and Mukuro decided not to beat around the bush pointlessly.

"The Vongola Family…why are you so interested in it?" Yuri questioned with feign interest. She knew that it wasn't one of the greatest questions to ask, but she decided to play the role of a proper, curious hostage. Besides, by getting Mukuro to retell his past, he was sure to open up to her later…right?

"Kufufu, it seems like I was correct. You _do_ know of the Vongola." Mukuro smirked victoriously.

"Yeah, yeah." Yuri waved it off, not even bothering to deny it. "So, why are you interested?" she repeated.

Mukuro grimaced while anger flashed in his bi-coloured eyes. "I loathe the mafia. After the experiments our 'Family' did on us, I felt hatred to all Mafioso," Mukuro explained, feeling completely at ease despite the coldness in his eyes.

"I destroyed the lab equipment and massacred the scientists. Unfortunately, Vindicare decided to lock us up. I, along with Ken and Chikusa, have escaped so that we could find information on the Tenth Vongola Boss." Mukuro looked to Yuri as though suspecting her to admit that she knew of Vongola Tenth.

"I see." Yuri pointedly ignored the look he was giving her. "However, why do you want to possess Tsu- ah, the boss?" She cursed her slip-up as she was sure that Mukuro noticed.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How do you know of my plan to take over the Vongola Tenth Boss?"

Yuri blinked. It was time to use her awesome bullshitting skills. "It's because I'm awesome."

"You're awesome?" Mukuro repeated dubiously. He was secretly questioning the girl's mental stability.

"Why thank you," Yuri said cheerfully with a smile. She took the hesitant question as a compliment.

Mukuro wisely chose not to rectify his mistake and answered Yuri's previous question. "I want to possess Vongola Tenth so that I can start a war within the Mafia and, ultimately, possess everybody in the world." Mukuro unleashed his signature laugh, albeit in a darker tone.

"Hmm," Yuri hummed thoughtfully. "But what will you do once you have reached your goal? If you possess everyone, then what will be the point? You'd be lonely forever," she stated with a blank face.

"You hate the Mafia because of that one Family that wronged you? How do you know that not all families are like that?" Yuri asked rhetorically as Mukuro stiffened slightly. "You may think of Ken and Chikusa as tools, but they cherish you; you set them free from that hell-hole. If something happened to them, wouldn't you be upset?

"Instead of creating chaos and misery, why don't you join the Vongola and help other children who are in the same situation as you were?" _Like Chrome… _"The Vongola plan on saving others, not abandoning them. By taking over the world, what will happen to humanity, to the children that are suffering?" She left it at that.

Although she only said that because she wanted to enlighten Mukuro, Yuri inwardly wondered why Akira Amano never brought this reasonable logic up. Probably because she was an idiot, a dark voice inside Yuri muttered. She shook her head to clear all cynical and sardonic thoughts…for now.

From Yuri's perspective, Mukuro looked shocked - well, as shocked a mass-murderer could look. He was completely still and his eyes appeared far-away, as though carefully analyzing Yuri's sensible words.

Yuri always wondered why Mukuro did these things, such as taking over the world. People like him that wanted world domination never thought of the consequences, which was basically every villain Yuri knew of.

Yuri hated it when she became profound and calculative. Nikoru called it her 'Inner Yuri', stupid imagination-less best friend who ripped that title off from some random anime.

Fortunately, since she vented her irritation at the illogical situation, Yuri was much calmer now and returned to her typical nonsensical self. Huh, Mukuro had said that wanted to possess all those people…

"Wait, EVERYONE? Including women and young girls? Wow, you are a pedo~!" she sang, killing the solemn mood. Woops, she got distracted too easily. When Yuri talked about one thing, she thought of another. She wondered how long it would be til Tsuna came- Hey! A yellow bird! Damn, she did it again.

"I am not a pedophile." Mukuro was smiling innocently but his voice maintained an icy tone.

"Liar," Yuri accused instantly. "Why else would you kidnap a cute little boy such as Fuuta and a stunning young girl such as me? Hey, where is Fuuta…?"

"I'm not lying. As for the boy, he is somewhere around us. A stunning young girl…? I don't see one." Mukuro's eyes surveyed the decomposed room as in search for the aforementioned girl - which was another reason why Akira Amano was so thick: Why would anyone want to rest (let alone live) in a _**abandoned**_ building where mold and other bacteria resided in? Idiot.

Yuri wasn't sure if Mukuro was being sarcastic or not, but she didn't get the chance to ask him for Chikusa walked in, all-bloodied up. His glasses were gone and his clothes were tattered. In short: he looked like he was just raped…by crazy rabid fangirls. Yuri shivered. Those girls were _scary_.

"Chikusa, is that you?" Mukuro asked the obvious. He received a faint thud in reply. Mukuro appeared slightly stunned for a moment but soon composed himself. "Oya, did we get a 'hit'?"

"Is Kakipi here?" Ken walked in and saw the unconscious Chikusa on the ground. Ken began drooling, eying the badly injured boy gleefully.

"Ken." Mukuro's voice was firm, causing Ken to stop commenting about how 'delicious' Chikusa looked. Cannibalism? "There's no way Chikusa would return empty-handed without information on the Vongola. Let us wait until he wakes up."

Yuri chuckled haughtily. "Fufu, so be a good dog and obey your master." She smirked deviously. For some incomprehensible reason, she felt really evil, and - dare she say it - sadistic. Stupid random mood swings.

Ken snapped his head in Yuri's direction and released a feral growl. "So, it's you. I'm surprised Mukuro-san didn't get rid of you yet," he spat rudely.

"Yeah, we just had a conversation about that. I'm currently your hostage, how fun," she drawled sarcastically. Yuri gazed at Chikusa - he was simply lying there without anyone else noticing.

"Mukuro-san, why are we keeping this maid a hostage?" Ken asked in a whining tone.

Yuri froze. Ken didn't just call her a maid, now did he? "Who's a maid, you stupid mutt?" She directed a heated glare in his direction as he sent one back. Yuri swore she heard electricity crackling in the background. Meh, it must have been her imagination. "My name is Yuri, not _maid_," she said coolly with a scowl.

"Keh, like I care," the stupid mutt scoffed.

"Hmph, fine," she huffed in anger and walked towards the half-dead Chikusa who wasn't getting any medical treatment so far.

Yuri kneeled down by his side and turned him over so that he was now lying on his back.

"What are you doing? Don't touch Kakipi!" the stupid mutt yelled like an impatient child.

"Don't make it sound like I'm raping him," Yuri replied in annoyance. "And _you _were the one yakking on about how appetizing he seemed - as if you were going to **eat** him! Besides, I'm going to bandage him up, seeing as you two aren't doing anything," she emphasized the fact that they were just sitting/standing there and not treating their comrade.

Yuri pulled out the first aid kit that Mukuro gave me to use on her sprained ankle. It was fine now, thanks for asking. She popped the cap of the antibiotic cream open and used a cloth to help spread it over the cuts.

"Ojou-chan, what are you doing?" Mukuro was watching intently from the couch. "Why are you treating Chikusa; aren't we your enemy?" Insert suspicion.

She sighed, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice, "No, the question is: why aren't _you_ treating Bakodo-chan? Isn't he your nakama*?" At least Mukuro cared about his comrades later into the series. "Besides, you guys are the Vongola's enemy, not mine." After cleaning the cuts, Yuri began wrapping bandages all over his body.

"But aren't you nakama with the Vongola?" He wanted to stress the word 'nakama'. "What will you do once we destroy them?"

Yuri rolled her eyes. "You seem so sure that you will defeat them. Overconfidence will lead to your defeat."

Mukuro shrugged off her warning, paying it no mind. He was sure that he would crush every obstacle standing in his way.

"And I'm neutral," she answered. "Just because you're Vongola's enemy, it doesn't mean that you are mine. I deem people whether they are evil or not, if they are then they are _my_ enemy and I won't allow anyone else to get involved.

"Okay, I'm done patching him up." Yuri dusted her hands together. "Baka-Ken, pick up Bakodo-chan and place him onto a bed, GENTLY," she told the stupid mutt who was currently busy playing with- Hey, wait! Was that her camera? "Oi, give that back!" She ran towards him, trying to snatch her camera back.

Mukuro sighed softly, preparing himself for the upcoming headache.

oOoOo

Once Nikoru returned to her temporary home, she heard commotion upstairs, most likely from Tsuna's room. She walked up the stairs and saw Sawada- ah, Mama, standing in the door way.

"Stingy Tsuna!" Lambo accused. "Mama, Lambo-san will help with the shopping!" He was probably planning on reaping in the rewards. "I'll go buy candy with the reward!"

Nikoru chose that moment to walk in. "Tsuna-kun, are you ready?" she asked and readjusted her bag.

"Huh? Ready for what? Could it be…?" His giant brown eyes bulged. "Shirobara-san, you're not going too, are you?"

Nikoru only nodded in response.

"You can't get involved with-" he looked towards Mama, who was smiling obviously, "-the mafia," he whispered quietly.

Nikoru grinned. "Too late. Once I officially joined your Family, wasn't I already involved?" She chuckled amiably. She got him there.

As Tsuna bowed his head in defeat, Reborn called I-pin and whispered into her ear. Reborn was prepared to help Tsuna's Family if they were in danger, and Nikoru was prepared also.

She subconsciously ran her hand against the small side-bag that she bought along with her work money. Nikoru was wearing her usual, comfy attire; jeans, sneakers and hoodie.

Nikoru looked through her bag to double-check that she had all her essentials. Meanwhile, Reborn was molding Leon into the shape of a ball and explained to Tsuna the situation with the Dying Will bullet.

"Yo, Tsuna!" Yamamoto had arrived, stopping Tsuna's little breakdown. "Sushi and tea - a little present." He grinned and held up two bags.

Tsuna sighed slightly at Yamamoto's thick-headedness whilst Nikoru smiled happily.

"Yamamoto-kun, I don't think we're going on a field trip," she said with an amused smile, voicing out exactly what Tsuna was thinking.

"Yamamoto Takeshi, are you picking a fight with me?" Bianchi asked accusingly in a cold voice as she walked up to him. "Are you saying my bento isn't good enough?" She held up the bento which was emitting purple-mist.

Nikoru ignored their tiny argument and turned to Reborn. "What about Gokudera-san?" She stole Tsuna's question yet again since he was distracted with Bianchi and Yamamoto's argument - seriously, did people just not like Yamamoto or something? First Gokudera and then Bianchi. Maybe it was just a sibling thing…

Reborn answered, saying that Gokudera was outside. Gokudera was near the gate, looking back and forth. He seemed like a suspicious person. There was a hint of pink on Tsuna's cheeks, and Nikoru gazed at him. Outwardly, she was curious as to why he was blushing slightly. Inwardly, her Inner Fangirl went crazy at the 5927 moment.

"Happy that he's better?" she began conversationally.

"Yeah. He looks more energetic than I thought he would be, which I'm glad for," Tsuna said with a small smile etched on his lips. "I thought his wounds would have killed him." His smile fell a little as he remembered Gokudera's injured body.

Nikoru frowned apologetically as an awkward silence fell between them.

"Shirobara-san, will you be okay? You seem uncomfortable when you're near blood," he said softly once the two were descending the stairs.

Nikoru's body tensed slightly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry, I'm prepared this time," she stated with determination blazing in her eyes.

They reached the front of the house where Gokudera was. He scratched the side of his head where the mosquito bit. Once he spotted them, he began feeling the gate post and Tsuna explained that he talked Bianchi into hiding her face.

"You're such a kid, Hayato," she told him seriously. The squirrel outfit kind of ruined the effect.

Gokudera paled.

Nikoru held her laughter in. She was sure they wouldn't appreciate her laughing at them. But it was so funny! Honestly, it was as though the two were a comedy duo.

"Now that we're all here, let's get Mukuro," Reborn told the group once they had assembled.

Tsuna was shaking slightly in fear, Nikoru noted with a concerned frown.

As the quintet reached the abandoned compound that was once Kokuyo Health Land, Tsuna informed them that he had been here before. The thought of a little Tsuna made Nikoru blush slightly, but she soon paled at the sight of Bianchi's Melting Sakura Mocchi.

_Ken would be watching them nearby._

They traveled deeper within the Kokuyo Gang's hideout, when Yamamoto spotted a footprint.

3…

2…

1…

Ken jumped out and everyone tensed. He aimed for Yamamoto which caused him to fall back. The earth beneath Ken crumbled and the baseball-player fell into the flora and fauna exhibit which was buried underneath.

"Are you okay, baseball-idiot?" asked Gokudera.

Nikoru paused when she realized Gokudera's obvious worry, despite the insult. What friendship, Nikoru acknowledged with a smile.

"I welcome you here, Yamamoto Takeshi," a voice resounded from within the shadows. "Kakipi's still asleep, and I've been bored without any orders. That maid has been getting on my nerves, too." The sound of footsteps echoed.

Nikoru blinked. Did he just say _maid_? It seemed like she was the only one who noticed or paid it any attention.

"And, then my prey comes along." Ken stepped into the light and out of the shadows. "I'm super happy," he stated in a dangerous tone and stuck his tongue out.

Yamamoto laughed merrily, cutting through the serious mood. "You're almost like a dog. Are you playing pretend?" he guessed cheerfully.

It wasn't a game, Nikoru thought with a tiny smile. Tsuna and Gokudera must have been thinking of the same thing for their faces held a look of disbelief.

Ken, once again, lunged at Yamamoto, this time he placing a set of teeth into his mouth. "Thanks for the food!" he cried out and broke Yamamoto's bat with his sharpened teeth.

Yamamoto exhaled calmly once the surprise wore off. "I see. In the Mafia game, we're not allowed to hold back, huh? Those are the rules," he deduced, deathly serious. His usually warm eyes turned cold and serious and the air around him became stifling. That soon changed, however, as Yamamoto asked if Ken had changed 'outfits'.

Ken began explaining how his cartridges worked. He calmly changed into a new one, '_**Kong Channel**_', he liked to call it. In addition to the strength he received via _**Kong Channel**_, he also gained fangs.

Once Ken changed to _**Wolf Channel**_, Nikoru made her move. Ken was running all over the place while Yamamoto tried to dodge. She silently reached into her bag and unwrapped a piece of raw meat. Nikoru threw it down the pit, aiming at the edges which lied in the darkness, a little away from the cautious baseball-player.

Reborn watched her for a while, but soon turned his attention back to the fight. After all, the hitman was planning to throw Tsuna in there.

Ken had seemed to have caught the scent of raw meat with his enhanced smell and quickly ran to it, devouring it greedily. He mustn't have eaten in a while…or he was as greedy as Yuri.

"Hey, girl," Ken began, breaking Nikoru out of her daydreams of a gluttonous Yuri eating all that food in one go… "You're the one who threw the meat down, weren't you?" At her nod, Ken seemed to have grown more feral. "Do you have any more?"

"Eh?" She wasn't prepared for that. "Ah…no." Nikoru sent an apologetic smile in his direction, trying to lessen his anger. It didn't work. Maybe bringing meat was a bad idea…

Ken seemed to get an energy boost once he ate the meat. It was meant to keep him distracted, but Nikoru didn't plan on him eating it so fast. Nikoru was stressing out - what if he really injured Yamamoto this time?

Reborn, noticing the strain and anxiety on her face, spoke up. "Nikoru, if you're so worried, then you go."

Nikoru's breath hitched in her throat as realization hit her. Didn't he say that to Tsuna right before he…oh, no.

Nikoru screamed with fright as Reborn unceremoniously shoved her down the dark hole. Was it merely a coincidence that she was horribly afraid of heights, therefore scared of falling from the aforementioned height? At least she landed on her back, unlike how Tsuna landed on his face…

"Reborn! Why did you that?" Nikoru heard Tsuna panic.

"Be quiet and watch," replied Reborn, signaling that there was no room for arguments.

"Ow," Nikoru muttered and got up. It looked like she would be replacing Tsuna for this scene… She sighed aloud while rubbing her sore back.

Nikoru stood back and watched the two men settle the fight. She winced as when she heard the sickening crunch of Ken's teeth against Yamamoto's arm. Using the handle of his katana, Yamamoto knocked out Ken with one hit.

"I'm so sorry, Yamamoto-kun." Nikoru clenched her fists regretfully. "To protect me, you sacrificed your arm, even though I'm a complete stranger…" she trailed off, thinking of how she just got in the way instead of helping. Useless, so _useless._

Yamamoto laughed, surprising Nikoru. "Don't worry. I can still play baseball with this little scratch." He smiled and flexed his fingers.

She sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…" Nikoru smiled back and ran over to him. "Can I patch it up for you?" she asked, looking at his bleeding arm.

"Eh? Can you handle the blood though?" he asked in reply, surprised and a little wary. Even when he was injured, Yamamoto still worried if everyone else was okay.

Nikoru smiled warmly, both at the amiable worry and the fact that Yamamoto remembered her situation with the red liquid. "Don't worry; it's not that much blood. I can handle it," she assured with a nod.

As Nikoru tended to Yamamoto's arm, she recalled what she saw when passing Ken. Peeking through the Kokuyo student's blazer was a shiny, black camera. Strange.

* * *

_Edited date_: 15-09-10, 04-10-10, 06-01-11


	8. Enter: MM, Birds, Bloody Twins, Lancia

Chapter 8

_Enter: M.M., Birds, Bloody Twins, Lancia_

Once Nikoru finished bandaging Yamamoto and placed the equipment back into the first aid kit, she ran towards Ken's body and grabbed the camera.

"Nikoru! You coming?" Yamamoto asked while Tsuna and the others helped him up.

"Yeah!" she replied, quickly placing the camera into her bag and running back.

How did Ken get Yuri's camera? Was she the maid that he was talking about? But why would Ken call her a maid? Nikoru's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she tried to place the puzzle pieces together.

Reborn was currently showing a picture of Ken, Chikusa and 'Rokudo Mukuro'.

"Nikoru, your mind seems to be somewhere else," he stated innocently. "Tsuna, show her the picture."

Tsuna obediently handed Nikoru the photo and she gave him a smile, which he returned. She analyzed the photo that contained images Kakimoto Chikusa, Joshima Ken and 'Rokudo Mukuro'.

Tsuna was right; Lancia _did_ look quite scary in this picture. A small smile crept onto her lips, but it soon disappeared as she felt Reborn's curious, yet suspicious, eyes on her.

oOoOo

Ken had excused himself to go fight Yamamoto and the others, and he still had her camera. Ah well, at least Yuri knew Yamamoto would beat the crap out of him. A sadistic smirk spread across her face.

Currently, Mukuro and Yuri were waiting for Chikusa to wake up since _they_ were the ones who had to move him. Well, Mukuro was the one who carried him; Yuri just tagged along while trying to distract him.

Mukuro looked as though he were asleep. His head was tilted down and his eyes were closed. Was he meditating? Did Yuri stress him out too much? Woops.

Yuri lifted her right hand up to her mouth and bit her thumb. She bit it hard enough so that it punctured the skin, a drop of blood appeared. Yuri slowly lifted her thumb up to Mukuro's forehead, lightly smearing it across in a horizontal line with an 'X' in the middle. She hoped that he couldn't feel it.

Of course she had a reason for doing this. Just because Yuri was a bit random and crazy, it didn't mean that she did something unusual such as this because she just felt like it. That was only one time…

Yuri received some help from one of Majo's friends - she was curious as to how many friends Majo actually had - and made it so that once she smeared blood on someone's forehead in that unique pattern that strangely resembled the anime version of the Hyuuga's Branch Family Seal pattern, Yuri could form a mental connection with them and talk freely through thoughts. Just like Kyuubi and Naruto…

Wow, she was making a lot of references to Naruto today. Maybe it was because she was starting to get hooked on the manga.

Yuri watched as the blood disappeared slowly, as though it were never there in the first place. Mukuro's forehead looked clean and untouched.

"Rokudo Mukuro-sama," Chikusa croaked softly.

_**~Mukuro's theme song plays~**_

Yuri absentmindedly wondered where the music came from… Her head dashed from side to side. Ah well, it's one of those things that should remain a mystery. Like, which came first: the chicken or the egg? You could guess but there wouldn't be a definite answer. Yuri knew that the egg came from the chicken but where did the chicken come from?

Anyway, back to eavesdropping on their conversation…

Mukuro looked up in Chikusa's direction. "So you've awakened," he said, stating the obvious. "It seems that hunting Number 3 was hard work, Chikusa," Mukuro stated casually.

"I made contact with the Vongola Boss," Chikusa replied immediately as he pushed his glasses up.

Wow, Yuri was surprised to hear what Chikusa's first words after he just woke up were. Not even a 'hello' or a glance in her direction. But, of course, Chikusa was extremely loyal and served Mukuro without hesitation. Yuri was sitting in the middle of them, so unless they were blind they should have noticed her by now…right?

"It seems so. They've come here to play with us," Mukuro told Chikusa indifferently.

Yuri immediately wondered if Mukuro knew how pedo-like that sounded.

The illusionist stood up. "Ken's been beaten."

Chikusa moved to the edge of the bed, ready to get up. Mukuro was about to stop him, but Yuri interjected.

"You shouldn't get up. Your wounds will open up," she told Chikusa brightly. Yuri jumped up so that she was now standing in front of him. "Ossu! My name is Kuraihana Yuri, the one who bandaged you up," she introduced herself cheerily.

Yuri studied Chikusa carefully while her outward appearance remained casual and clueless. Shock flashed onto his facial features, but he soon composed himself before Yuri could analyze him any further. Chikusa made no move to introduce himself, so Yuri did the honors.

Her grin never wavered. "And you're…the guy that knocked me out and brought me here, Kakimoto Chikusa~" she sang, happy that she was making a new friend, even if they were targeting her other friends.

"How do you know Chikusa's full name?" Mukuro inquired, suspicion lacing his tone.

Yuri's grin fell a little. "It's because I'm awesome," she answered after a short pause, her grin turning cheesy.

Seeing how they weren't going to get a proper answer, Mukuro and Chikusa went back to their previous conversation.

"Don't be in such a rush. Reinforcements have arrived," Mukuro assured Chikusa, moving aside do that his follower could get a better view of the aforementioned reinforcements.

Yuri followed Chikusa's example and eyed the lesser, temporary members of the Kokuyo Gang.

She flinched once realization hit her. "Whoa! Have they been here the whole time?" Yuri asked, bewildered. Ugh, she really sucked at detecting other people's presences. But then, they weren't making a single noise. They were dead quiet.

A new thought circulated through Yuri's mind. Did they see what she did to Mukuro? From that angle, all they would have seen was her placing her thumb to her lips and rub it against Mukuro's forehead. She fought the urge to slap herself. Now they were going to think that she was some freak.

It was less than a second later that Yuri relaxed. She just realized that she really didn't care for what they thought of her.

After she snapped out of her thoughts, Yuri shrugged and looked throughout the group.

One person, however, caught her eye. It was an old man with glasses, his name was Birds. Why was he called that? Because little yellow birds surrounded and flocked to him.

"Wahh! How awesome!" she ran over to Birds and scooped one of the birds into her hands. "So this is the yellow bird I saw before."

Yuri stared at the old man, gauging for his reaction. Birds was beyond shocked. His usual creepy grin was now gone to be replaced by a look of disbelief. Yuri found that ironic. The man who took pleasure from seeing others' surprise was stunned himself. Then again, Yuri supposed that his birds weren't friendly towards anyone besides himself. Ah well, Yuri was weird and different, so meh.

"Ne, Oyaji, can I keep this one? You have tonnes yourself; one less won't matter," she pointed out excitedly. Without waiting for the old pervert's answer - she knew it would be a no - Yuri took the bird in her hand and ran over to Mukuro's side.

The bird was surprisingly obedient. Didn't they say that Birds' birds didn't follow anyone but Birds? Yuri wondered how many times she could say that before getting tongue-tied. Hibird was loyal to Hibari, maybe this one was loyal to her? Yuri always did have a soft spot for birds.

Her uncle once owned several chicks and gave Yuri one to look after. The avian was, at first, small and cute, but it soon grew at a surprising pace. Soon enough, Yuri's pet developed into a large white chicken. The bird was sent…someplace else and Yuri never saw it again. It was kind of a handful, and it did have the tendency to run away all the time and squawk loudly.

Yuri was dragged out of her reminiscence by slightly movement coming from the reinforcements. Lancia, Birds, Bloody Twins, and M.M. were all looking incredibly bored or lost in their own thoughts. Too bad M.M. had a rotten personality, she was pretty cute, and wasn't she a Mukuro fangirl?

Speaking of Mukuro, Yuri didn't get a chance to nickname him yet. The only people who didn't have nicknames were Nikoru and Reborn.

Yuri didn't give one to Nikoru because she couldn't find a good one. And also, excluding a few others, Yuri was the only who called her Nikoru. Yuri didn't give one to Reborn because she knew he would beat her up if she called him anything besides his name, in short: she was scared of him.

M.M. already called him 'Mukuro-chan', so that was automatically out. Mukuro? Muku-chan? Pineapple? Pedo? Decisions, decisions…

"Mukuro, you have a uniform fetish, right? Since you made your minions- ahem, comrades," Yuri corrected as an afterthought, ignoring the heated glares she was receiving, "wear the Kokuyo uniforms. I have a uniform fetish too, only girls' uniforms though. There are hardly any unique or good-looking guys' ones," she rambled, going somewhat off-topic.

"What was I talking about again…?" she wondered aloud. "Oh yeah! So, can I have a Kokuyo uniform too? I'm sick of this maid outfit. We can swap if you want," Yuri suggested eagerly. Mukuro could have been a cross-dresser, she never knew.

"You can keep the maid outfit," Mukuro replied almost immediately, deflating Yuri's perverted hopes. "Once you put on the Kokuyo uniform, it'll symbolize that you're one of us," Mukuro warned with his ever-so innocent smile.

"You make it sound as if you were an alien," she told him bluntly, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Mukuro's eye twitched, but he kept a forced smile on.

"Ooh! Can I also have a gun?" Yuri clung to his arm as she begged for one. "For self-defense, or for whenever I feel like you shooting something…or someone," she pleaded excitedly. A small part of Yuri's mind realized how much she sounded like terrorist… Oh well.

"Ah! Stop clinging onto Mukuro-chan!" M.M. screeched, outraged.

Yuri's assumptions proved to be correct, M.M. was a fangirl.

Yuri looked over in her direction and sent her an icy glare. "You only like Mukuro because he has money. Although I like money too, you shouldn't love a person because they give you things," she reprimanded angrily. Yuri hated people who obsessed over money or spent it recklessly.

Yuri turned to the amused and slightly surprised illusionist. "But I'd be happy if you gave me a gun, oh and an electric guitar!" It wasn't fair that Nikoru received her father's old one back in their world…

Almost everyone who was listening to their conversation - out of curiosity or unintentionally (Yuri was quite loud) - crashed down in disbelief. Except the cool people like Mukuro, Chikusa, and Lancia, Yuri added.

"I'll give you the uniform and gun, I suppose, but not an electric guitar," Mukuro told her, still smiling.

"Eh? Why?" she whined stubbornly. Unfortunately, her angry scowl turned into an upset pout.

"Because I don't have one," he said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Mukuro-sama," Chikusa spoke softly. "You're spoiling her." No one seemed to have heard, except Yuri herself, since he spoke so quietly. Mukuro wasn't paying any attention or he was just ignoring him…

"Then use your illusions," Yuri recommended in a carefree tone, ignoring Chikusa as well.

That seemed to make him pause. "How did you know that I am able to create and utilize illusions?"

Yuri gazed at him as though he were an idiot, which, in her mind, he really was. "It's because I'm awesome," she answered with a scoff.

Sighing softly, Mukuro left to go get the uniform and gun while M.M. headed outside to fight Tsuna and the others. The girl was more trouble than she was worth. However, in a miniscule part of his mind where he allowed such thoughts, Mukuro was somewhat content with Yuri's carefree presence.

oOoOo

After Tsuna suggested the idea of taking a break, M.M. appeared with her special clarinet; which heated up all the food, making it explode.

M.M. began explaining on how her clarinet worked and how she loved money. Nikoru blinked. Yuri would love M.M. if it weren't for that attitude of hers. Nikoru wondered what would happen once Yuri met with Bluebell…

As she was forming the possible 'what if' scenarios, Bianchi was fighting the red-haired girl and told her that love was what was most important. How ironic was it that Bianchi won because she was trying to keep Reborn, her supposed lover, asleep.

Nikoru couldn't really do much here, unless there was a way to block sound waves.

Birds was next, wasn't he? Ah, here he came, along with his not-so-pleasant laugh. Huh? Didn't he have two birds on him in the anime? Hmm, it wasn't important. Yuri probably stole one because it was cute, that seemed like something she would do.

"What's that?" Tsuna questioned, breaking Nikoru out of her thoughts.

On the screen which showed Kyoko and Haru, the Bloody Twins were trying to hide - not very well, Nikoru silently added, from the girls.

"What are those guys?" Yamamoto voiced aloud, sounding slightly surprised,

"So you've noticed them," came Birds' reply.

Nikoru raised her eyebrows in utter disbelief. How could you _not_ notice them? They were far from normal-looking, but then again, Haru and Kyoko didn't notice them… But it was so obvious! Nikoru sighed, it seemed as though Haru-chan and Kyoko-chan had terrible sense when it came to being aware of others' presences.

"They look adorable," Birds stated. "But they were such ferocious serial killers that while in prison, they were not let out of solitary confinement even once," he explained, seeming positive that the Bloody Twins were actually cute. Even Yuri wasn't that messed up, eh…probably.

The Bloody Twins sharpened their elongated nails, ready to dig into the girls' flesh. Nikoru supposed it made sense that Kyoko and Haru couldn't see them since the Twins were directly behind them, but shouldn't Hana have seen them? They were in her range of sight, after all.

Birds had warned Tsuna and the others that if they laid a hand of him, the girls would be in danger. In short, Birds was hiding under the protection of the Bloody Twins.

Reborn was still asleep while all the commotion was going on.

Everything was going along according to the plot line.

Birds ordering the others to hurt Tsuna so that the girls would be safe; Bianchi hitting him and pretending to be the bad guy; Tsuna desperate for Kyoko-chan's and asking the others to stab him though no one else knew that the blade was coated in poison; I-pin, Lambo and Shamal coming to the rescue and saving the day; Fuuta declaring that he was going to stay with Mukuro; Tsuna chasing after him into the forest; and finally, Lancia appearing, acting as Mukuro.

Nikoru followed after them, it was better than staying with the others and getting the life beaten out of her.

oOoOo

After getting changed into the Kokuyo uniform (it was much more comfortable than the maid outfit) and receiving a handgun, Mukuro grabbed Yuri's wrist and told her to follow him into the forest.

Yuri walked deeper within forest, trailing after Mukuro. She pondered on why there was a forest here in the first place. Wasn't Kokuyo Land once an amusement park-like place where children and their parents came to enjoy themselves? If so, why would someone plant multiple trees there? Did they _want_ the children to wander into the woods and go missing or something of the like?

Mukuro suddenly stopped, causing Yuri to bump into his back and out of her thoughts. The damned pineapple-bastard was still holding onto her wrist as he forcefully dragged her along. What was she? A little kid? Even though Yuri acted like one at times…but she could walk by herself, as long as Mukuro didn't get out of her range of sight.

She peered over Mukuro's shoulder and saw Tsuna enter the clearance. Mukuro smirked and moved the right sight of his split bangs over his red eye, hiding it from sight.

Walking into the clearance, Mukuro began speaking, acting as an innocent hostage kept by the Kokuyo students.

"Tsuna!" Yuri exclaimed in glee. Seeing the older, cute boy in a long while pleased Yuri to an extent. Tsuna was too adorable…when he wasn't busy fawning over Kyoko or doing something foolish.

Yuri was about to run over and hug him, but Mukuro held her back. He pulled Yuri in front of himself and used his hand to cover up her mouth.

"Yuri?" Nikoru asked curiously. She walked in and saw her friend's current position. Yuri was thrashing about angrily with muffled shouts. Nikoru sighed deeply, "It's typical of you to end up in these situations."

Yuri scowled angrily as she sent a fiery glare at Nikoru. It wasn't like she wanted it to happen! Well, she didn't really mind. Surprisingly, the Kokuyo Gang were fun to hang out with. Though when compared to interacting with Tsuna and the annoying teenagers, of course it would seem like paradise to the easily annoyed Yuri.

"…Kuraihana-san?" Tsuna addressed the obviously irritated girl somewhat nervously. "HIIII! Why are you wearing the Kokuyo Middle School uniform?" he exploded once he saw her attire.

Yuri rolled her eyes. How was she supposed to answer with her mouth covered up? Stupid boy.

Mukuro began talking to Tsuna, paying no attention to the extra company. Yuri scowled in disgust as Mukuro tried to act innocent, but failed when he became a little _too_ interested in the 'baby' Tsuna mentioned when explaining his companions.

Mentioning something about getting split up from the rest of the group, Tsuna ran in a different direction from which he came from. Nikoru followed.

Yuri silently glared at Nikoru's retreating form, waiting patiently for the crazy pedophile to let her go. But he didn't. Yuri wasn't even sure if Mukuro remembered whose mouth his hand was on. Yuri's suspicions were confirmed, as Mukuro began chuckling to himself quite sinisterly.

Yuri's shoulders slumped down as a sigh managed to escape her concealed mouth. She decided to do what she always did when someone used their hands to cover her mouth.

She licked it.

At least it didn't taste like pineapples. They were relatively clean. Okay, maybe she should halt all thoughts on Mukuro's taste…

Feeling something wet, Mukuro quickly retracted his hand and glowered in disgust.

Yuri smirked victoriously. Ha, take that! As soon as Mukuro let go, she swiftly walked over to his side, ignoring his venomous glare.

"That baby is an Arcobaleno after all," Chikusa said, entering the scene.

ARGH! Yuri sucked at sensing presences! Either that, or Chikusa was a secret ninja. He did use poisonous needles like certain shinobi in Naruto…

"So it seems," Mukuro said, agreeing with Chikusa's observation. "It means 'rainbow' in Italian, the seven strongest infants in the Mafia world. If that child is an Arcobaleno, then he must be hiding some secret."

"Where do you come up with these assumptions?" Yuri, being the straightforward person she was, voiced out what popped up into her mind.

Mukuro learned by now to ignore her. "We will go after Vongola the Tenth after we find out what that secret of theirs is," Mukuro told Chikusa, laughing creepily.

"Who's he talking to?" Yuri wondered aloud and looked at Mukuro as if were some crazy lunatic. He probably was, considering he wanted to take over the world. And he broke out of an impenetrable prison just to meet a 14-year-old boy.

Now that Yuri thought about it, maybe Mukuro was a perverted lunatic…

Chikusa assigned Yuri a blank look. He didn't know what was wrong with Mukuro-sama either.

oOoOo

"You seem happy," Chikusa observed as the trio returned to Kokuyo Centre.

Yuri thought that the immediate scene changes were weird. One minute they were in the forest and now they were back at the building. Was it so important to have this conversation here? Couldn't they have had as they walked back out the forest? Yuri pinched her cheek to utilize the pain in order to rid her calculative thoughts.

"I'm just taken aback," Mukuro denied, "after actually meeting him. The man chosen by Vongola the Ninth, who is known to have the God's Command and renowned for his ability for his ability to judge people, surpassed her every expectation, yet was so small and weak. What could he be?" Mukuro turned to look at Chikusa who was standing next to me, patiently listening to his leader's rants.

"A human?" Yuri replied sarcastically.

Turning back, Mukuro spoke once more. "We shall see what the Arcobaleno's trick is soon."

Yuri snorted in amusement, mouth forming into a full-blown smirk. "Did you just say 'shall'?"

Killer intent emanated from his body, but she didn't let it get to her. "Anyway, what makes you so sure that the Arcobaleno is hiding a secret?" _She_ knew that Reborn was hiding something to do with the Arcobaleno, but how would Mukuro know? He was stuck in Vindicare for a while without receiving any information…hasn't he?

"Only idiots assume things," she muttered none too softly.

The killer intent intensified and Mukuro's red eye changed to a '四'. His innocent smile that promised immense pain was back.

Yuri clicked her tongue, creating a tutting sound. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mukuro, killer intent doesn't affect me~" she told him in a bright and sing song voice. Feeling somewhat crazy and sadistic, she skipped around the room with her grin still in place. "Haha, baka," Yuri teased and stuck her tongue out.

Mukuro continued smiling as he tried to hide the twitch forming under his eye. Yuri supposed that he really should see a doctor about that.

"Idiot," she chanted repeatedly, taunting him. She was playing her role as the childish idiot quite well. Her mask was firmly in place, though a small part of her was enjoying it.

Mukuro unintentionally took the bait as he thrust his trident in her direction.

Being the super awesome ninja that she was, Yuri quickly dodged and ducked with the extra evasion skills she gave herself via the magic laptop.

Mukuro only managed to grant Yuri with several shallow cuts. The stupid girl wouldn't stop moving. She was just like an annoying pest that was desperate for extermination.

Yuri had one cut on her left cheek, below her eye. She had another one on the upper part of her right arm, and one on her chest…which was kind of perverted in her opinion.

Naturally, she expressed her opinion aloud verbally. "I can't believe you aimed there. I was right, you are a pedophile," she said with utmost belief. Mukuro took over Chrome's body and can go through and see what she was seeing. That totally screamed 'PEDOPHILE' to Yuri.

Mukuro turned to Chikusa, talking about the 'other Rokudo Mukuro', aka Lancia. It was amusing to watch him trying to continue ignoring her, which was very difficult since she constantly sang "pedophile" continuously.

Since he wasn't giving up on ignoring her, Yuri wasn't giving up on annoying him. Kuraihana Yuri never backed down…unless there was money, food, or cute things involved.

oOoOo

"I could have sworn that they were around here- AHHHHHH!"

Tsuna and Nikoru were attempting to discover the way back to the others, when Tsuna tripped and fell down. Fortunately, he slid safely down the ground. Nikoru used her feet to slide down carefully, unlike Tsuna who slid down with his rear quite dangerously.

After helping Tsuna up and checking if he was alright, the duo realized that they were back to where the others were previously. The others were fighting against 'Rokudo Mukuro'.

Gokudera was on all fours with his head down, a few sticks of dynamite were close to him but scattered about.

Yamamoto used the tree as support to keep him from falling, he was clearly knocked out cold and his baseball bat was bent unnaturally.

Bianchi was holding up two large dinner plates with a variety of poison cooking atop. She was standing on her own against the man who easily defeated both Yamamoto and Gokudera without breaking a sweat.

Tsuna was shaking in anger, which Nikoru deduced was a rare sight, and he yelled at 'Rokudo Mukuro' as if he were scolding Lambo.

'Rokudo Mukuro' was about to finish off Bianchi, when Tsuna came to the rescue as Reborn shot him with the last Dying Will bullet.

Seeing Tsuna 90% naked right in front of her, considering his clothes flew off, scarred Nikoru's somewhat innocent mind. She admitted that she wasn't totally innocent - she read smutty yaoi fanfictions from time to time - but audio and visuals were too much for her, she stuck to words only.

Trying to rid an almost completely naked Tsuna out of her mind, Nikoru used this opportunity to her advantage. 'Rokudo Mukuro' was distracted so she hastily dashed over to the other, planning to take care of their wounds.

Nikoru decided that Gokudera was first, seeing as he was still awake and in pain. She thought she spotted a little yellow ball flying above them, but it must have been her imagination. Nikoru had to focus on taking care of Gokudera for now.

The bomb-user clutched his sides in pain, the side-effect to the Trident Mosquito Shamal used. Fortunately, before she returned to her temporary home, Nikoru managed to get medicine from Shamal to counter the side effects.

oOoOo

Mukuro, Chikusa and Yuri were currently in a room that resembled a beaten down bowling alley.

Chikusa was staring outside of the window, watching the fight between Lancia - Yuri seriously needed a nickname for Lancia - and Tsuna.

Mukuro was sitting on a couch with earphones plugged into his ears, listening to the fight.

Yuri couldn't believe how Mukuro used Naru-chan as a recorder! Naru-chan seemed a fitting name for the brightly-coloured bird. Maybe Yuri was obsessing over Naruto a little too much…

Chikusa was giving Mukuro a vivid description of the battle taking place outside so that Mukuro could connect it with the audio he was receiving.

Where did Mukuro get earphones from anyway? Yuri needed a pair too… Stupid, cheap earphones bought at a garage sale. Admittedly, it was a bad idea, but… it was cheap! Earphones nowadays were outrageously expensive after all.

Yuri was seated beside Mukuro, currently rubbing her sore muscles where bruises were probably forming. Mukuro didn't have to hit her that hard…wife-beater. Even though she wasn't his wife, - that thought made her shiver uncontrollably - what else could she call him? Yuri hoped that he didn't treat all girls like this. Poor Chrome.

Mukuro was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, but wasn't that the 'girl' way of sitting? Why did Akira Amano always draw the Katekyo Hitman Reborn males sitting in that position? Well, Yuri only saw Hibari and Mukuro do it so far, but still…

"Mukuro, why do you sit the 'girl' way?" Yuri asked. Without waiting for a response, she continued. "I mean, guys don't sit that way because it hurts their d- family jewels. So, that means that you have a small… Never mind," she trailed off and gave him a large grin.

Mukuro raised a defined eyebrow, wondering what the girl was about to say.

"Alright! This is a bowling alley, so let's bowl!" she sang excitedly, completely ready to defeat Mukuro.

Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for everyone else, Yuri ended up playing by herself due to Mukuro getting up and watching the fight. Yuri heard the high-pitched chirps of Naru-chan coming closer, and closer…

oOoOo

Wow. Nikoru never realized how strong Tsuna was, but seeing all the action up close was far more thrilling than the way the anime and manga portrayed it.

Nikoru winced upon the sight of Lancia kicking and hitting Tsuna as if he were a rag doll. She let a shriek escape her lips from surprise, Lancia had just smashed Tsuna into the ground while his steel ball fell down atop of him soon after.

Bianchi's eyes widened considerably, her mouth fell open in shock, shaking slightly. Reborn remained unfazed, his mouth thinned in a grim line and his fedora was lowered, curtaining his eyes.

A stifling silence fell upon them as the smoke dissipated. The clang of metal broke that silence as Tsuna used the steel ball as support to keep himself up as he sat down and panted.

Relief washed over Nikoru as her nerves instantly calmed down. Her heart, which was beating furiously a moment ago, slowed down to its usual pace.

Disbelief swept onto Lancia's face, then came shock, and finally, anger. He didn't believe that Tsuna still alive and barely injured - save for a few scratches and bruises -, shocked to hear Tsuna say that he wasn't a bad person, and anger at the fact that he was seen through so easily by a fourteen-year-old boy.

The tenth Vongola boss delivered a punch strong enough to cause Lancia to back down.

Nikoru's heart warmed up as Tsuna explained why he thought the steel ball-wielder wasn't a bad guy. Her cheeks expanded as she tried to keep the laughter from escaping, Tsuna just compared the fierce and intimidating Lancia to the slightly annoying and easily frightened Lambo.

Lancia broke down and recounted the story of his tragic life, the culprit behind all those acts: Rokudo Mukuro.

This was confusing to Nikoru. Should she view Mukuro as the good guy, or the bad guy? All the things he did were in the past, and he soon redeemed himself later in the series. She sighed aloud, still unsure. She would think about this later on.

The ex-convict pushed Tsuna out of the way as needles shot out from nowhere, piercing the side of his chest and his left arm. While the two men were fighting, Nikoru managed to fix up both Gokudera and the still-comatose Yamamoto.

Two tears escaped Lancia's eyes while recalling his actual name and previous Family. Bianchi, Gokudera, and Tsuna regained their resolve and were ready to fight Mukuro in order to avenge Lancia.

Huh? Nikoru frowned. They thought he was dead?

"Ah, everyone, don't worry," Nikoru spoke up with barely contained amusement. "Lancia isn't dead," she assured them from Lancia's side.

Reborn explained how they needed the antidote within an hour and Lancia would be safe, this seemed to have added fuel to the fire. The group figured that Chikusa must have the antidote. The sooner the Kokuyo students were defeated, the sooner everything would be alright.

They moved the injured under the shade of a large tree, hiding them from sight and the glare of the bright sun.

A yellow bird was flying towards Kokuyo Centre while chirping a warning. "Birds has been beaten! The Twins have been beaten! Everyone has been beaten! Mukuro! Yuri!" it exclaimed in a panicked voice.

Did it just call Yuri? Nikoru silently pondered. Though she had to admit, it was pretty cute. No one else paid any attention to the bird, all their thoughts were circling around one thing: to defeat Rokudo Mukuro.

They made their way through the enemy's territory cautiously. Nikoru packed spare clothes for Tsuna and tried to avoid looking anywhere else other than his eyes. They were both blushing slightly as Tsuna took the clothes and uttered a small thank you. Why wasn't anyone else affected? Oh, right. Nothing was surprising in the world of the Mafia.

The group had trouble finding a staircase which was still fully intact, so they ended up using an emergency ladder.

Chikusa was already there waiting for them, and Gokudera was ready for a re-match. The rest of the group ascended up the rusty ladder and through the smoke screen.

Good luck, Gokudera-san. Nikoru rested her eyes on the scowling boy before leaving via the ladder.

The group passed by the second floor which contained a bowling alley, and discovered that the third floor was a movie theater. Soon enough, they reached a creepy room in which no light was able to enter.

oOoOo

Naru-chan returned to Yuri soon enough and delivered a message to the pineapple demon. Yuri used her finger to stroke the bird's head lovingly, thanking it for doing the idiot's dirty work.

Ignoring Yuri's jab, Mukuro ordered her to follow him into the stuffy, dark room where she first woke up from her lovely nap.

Grabbing hold of her tiny wrist which seemed to fit perfectly in his hand, the pineapple man sat on the couch and made sure Yuri sat right next to him. One thought ran through Yuri's mind: _PEDO ALERT!_

"Uh, what are you doing?" she asked in a slightly cautious yet accusing voice.

"Making sure you complete your job as a hostage," Mukuro responded with a playful smile.

"Oh," was Yuri's incredibly intelligent reply. "Oi, Mukuro are you afraid of death?" she inquired casually, having no difficulty discussing the topic about death with a murderer.

He was puzzled about Yuri's sudden question. but replied nonetheless. "Of course not," he smiled slyly.

"So, if you were half-dead and couldn't fight back, and a crazy killer came after you with a knife, would you: A) quiver in fear and hope that something could intervene, B) welcome death with open arms, or C) wish that you wouldn't die and that your life would resume?" Her expression was emotionless, the question came out softly. She always wondered what someone else would say.

If Yuri asked one of her close friends, they would shudder and divert the conversation to something else.

If she asked a friend that she knew but wasn't as close with, they would say that Yuri was too curious or scary.

But maybe asking a sadistic mass murderer that question was a little weird. Oh well, Yuri shrugged carelessly, it was better to regret what you did do than regret something you didn't do but wished you did. She blinked. Did that make sense to anyone but her?

Mukuro gave the puzzling inquiry a while of thought. "Truthfully, I would choose option C, seeing how I couldn't fight back."

Well, that was…interesting. "Why C?" Confusion was written on her face, whereas interest penetrated her voice.

"Definitely not A since I do not quiver in fear, nor do I rely on others to protect or rescue me," Mukuro replied somewhat arrogantly, but independently. His playful smile was gone, to be replaced by a stoic and thoughtful one which Yuri infrequently witnessed.

Rokudo Mukuro sure was…interesting and somehow different than she had interpreted.

Mukuro continued as Yuri was captured and pulled in deeper, curiosity and surprise burning at how deeply he thought this question through.

"The reason I didn't choose option B and the reason I chose C is because of my one goal; to destroy this insignificant world."

Wow. Yuri contemplated Mukuro's honest response. His and Byakuran's goals were so similar, if they joined forces, then nothing could stop them; not even Tsuna. Yuri was secretly glad that Tsuna used his Dying Will flames to destroy Mukuro's dark aura.

"What would you choose?" he asked, seemingly curious.

Yuri broke out of her reverie. "I would choose B," she answered immediately. Yuri used up a lot of time thinking about what answer she would choose. "Because, death is inevitable; whether you die from old age, health problems, an accident, or murder, death will have you in its clasp sooner or later. People aren't meant to change that, but then again, fate isn't set in stone.

"Like you, I want to use her own power to save myself and not rely on others. We're a lot alike…" Her laugh was hollow, unlike her cheerful demeanor. Yuri's eyes were glazed over, deep in thought.

When e asked Mukuro that question, Yuri felt her inner self bubble up to the surface of her consciousness. A profound yet cold self that hardly appeared unless bored or deeply annoyed. It was also her dark self, tainted with the darkness of her not-so-delightful childhood, a part of her that she wished for others not to witness.

Yuri didn't care about strangers' opinions. The only thing she was scared of was being rejected and abandoned by her loved ones. Her inner could talk people yet she could also bring herself down in the process. Yuri drowned herself in sorrow, when a voice reached out to me.

"You're quite interesting, Yuri."

Yuri blinked repeatedly. Was she hearing things? Mukuro just called her by her first name, _and_ he called her interesting. He complimented right when she needed it. Yuri now had a self-assigned mission: to befriend Mukuro and lessen his boredom while stuck in Vindicare prison.

"Are you sick?" she asked with wide eyes. "Have you eaten recently? You just escaped prison, were you doing anything strenuous?" Questions quickly exploded from her mouth. "OH GOD, ARE YOU DYING?"

"I'm fine," Mukuro said with restrained annoyance, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Yuri grinned from ear to ear. That was one small step from completing her mission. "Hey, when's your birthday?" she queried, deciding to ask a question that wasn't about death or his health.

Mukuro was relieved that the topic this time wasn't about the death or anything else along the lines of it. "June 9th," he answered, uncaring.

"Awesome! The same month as mine!" she beamed excitedly. "It's the 23rd, if you wanted to know."

"I didn't," he deadpanned.

Yuri laughed at how immediate and solemn his answer to her bubbly question was. "I don't care," she said seriously, "write it down."

She rubbed the growing bruise on her head with a pout. More brain cells were lost.

"It feels nice to be myself around others," she remarked. Yuri leaned back into the couch and relaxed her muscles, closing her eyes and letting the comfortable silence wrap around them. It was pleasant, unlike the awkward silences she encountered with others where she had to strike up a random conversation. This silence was one where words meant nothing, it was calming.

Like all of Yuri's comfortable silences, it was quickly disrupted. It was probably her curse. She knew she shouldn't have sat on that mirror! Ugh, only two years had passed. Damn, another five to go. And add the mafia - which included dangerous adventures - equaled danger, for her and the ones around her.

She forced her mind to go back to the situation at hand. Stupid, easily-distracted mind. The door creaked open and Tsuna, Bianchi, Reborn, and Nikoru walked in.

"I'm glad we could meet again," Mukuro greeted Tsuna calmly.

"Ah! You're…" Tsuna trailed off, not realizing Mukuro's change in personality from the last time they met. He ran closer towards Yuri and Mukuro. "Is this where you're being held?"

Yuri almost facepalmed at Tsuna's obliviousness, but managed to stop herself from inflicting anymore damage to her head. It was obvious that Mukuro wasn't being captured since he was sitting on the couch, looking calm and slightly evil.

"This is the Kokuyo student I met earlier. He's being held here!" Tsuna explained. "Eh, but where's Kuraihana-san?"

It was nice to know Tsuna remembered her. Yuri liked using sarcasm.

"Call me Yuri," she made her presence known. Yuri leaned forward and settled for a similar position as Mukuro, just to tick him off.

"Kufufu, please take your time. We're about to start a long relationship together, Vongola the Tenth," Mukuro said suspiciously.

"Hah, see," Yuri smirked triumphantly. "You _are such_ a pedo," she snorted in an unladylike manner. Why did the things Mukuro say sound so perverted? Other than Nikoru - who grinned in amusement -, everyone else seemed to be ignoring her.

Shock flashed over Tsuna's face. "How do you know I'm Vongola?"

"Wait, Tsuna," Reborn warned in a strict tone.

"That's not it, Tsuna. He's…" Bianchi took a step forward, but paused when Mukuro started laughing his creepy laugh.

"Kufufu," Mukuro chuckled, annoying Yuri to no extent. "That's right. I am the real Rokudo Mukuro." He lifted his head up, revealing his red eye.

"…How dramatic was that?" Yuri started laughing, even though she shouldn't be considering the current situation.

"Well, this is awkward," she stated bluntly after a moment's silence. "Okay, I'm going. Bye!" Yuri ran over to the door before Mukuro could stop her. She halted in dash when Nikoru called her.

"Yuri, catch!" she cried aloud, tossing her a paper bag.

Yuri held the small bag in her hands and stared with furrowed eyebrows. Did Nikoru know what she was up to? Ah well, at least she came prepared.

"Umm…thanks." Yuri was confused, but gave Nikoru a curt nod. "Bye, everyone! See you later, Pineapple Man," she grinned cheekily and dashed away before Fuuta could enter, her crazy laughter echoing throughout the hallway behind her.

Yuri ran out of the room and wasn't bothered climbing the emergency ladder properly, so she took two steps at a time. Which wasn't a very good idea seeing how much of a klutz she was. Soon enough, Yuri heard bangs and shouts - in a non-perverted way - and saw smoke.

Bakodo-chan and Inu-dera began fighting already. Gokudera tried to distance himself from Chikusa, but the latter chased after the former.

Yuri glanced at Chikusa's run. She burst out laughing. It was _hilarious_! It was like how they ran in Naruto, but much more entertaining. Her knees gave out under her as her laughter became uncontrollable.

Thankfully, a bomb exploded, so it covered up the noise of Yuri's booming laughter.

Chikusa quickly dodged, so he only received less than half of the damage. Gokudera didn't let Chikusa relax just yet. He threw twice the amount of bombs. Chikusa swiftly defused all of them with that awesome yo-yo of his.

"You must be upset because you were beaten last time," Gokudera assumed smugly. "You made your move too quickly. Thanks to that, your legs are wide open." The terrorist smirked as the bombs under Chikusa exploded.

Gokudera's last sentence replayed in Yuri's mind over and over again. _'Thanks to that, your legs are wide open…' _his voice echoed faintly.

As Gokudera made his victory speech, Yuri began laughing uproariously yet again, this time was because of that perverted sentence. Yuri could make a normal sentence and twist it into something dirty. She considered herself a pervert that way. Yuri rubbed the tears forming at her eyes, still chuckling at that statement.

As Gokudera was preparing for the final blow, he flinched in pain and clutched his chest, dropping his bombs before they could be used. He whimpered in agony and stumbled over to a wall and used it as support to keep him standing. Gokudera would soon find out that it wasn't such a good idea… Should Yuri warn him? Nah, the K-gang - her nickname for Mukuro's gang - weren't her enemy after all… She was neutral.

Yuri stood behind Chikusa after her chuckles dissolved. Her back was against the wall as she watched Ken shatter the window near Gokudera, and dig into Gokudera's chest with his claws. Ouch. She winced as though she was in his position, her heart felt as if it was going to fly out from shock and fear. Damn, she might have to help Gokudera.

Gokudera backed down, clutching his chest, trying to catch his breath. Ken ruthlessly taunted Gokudera, he even stuck his tongue out. Losing his balance, Gokudera fell down the staircase, along with the curtains.

"How uncool!" Ken laughed. In Yuri's opinion, he couldn't seem to shut his mouth.

"Ugh, you're so nice, Ken," she said, rolling her eyes. The sarcasm was almost dripping out of her mouth.

Ken and Chikusa turned their attention away from the half-dead Gokudera and onto a disinterested Yuri.

"Hah, it's the maid," Ken smirked.

Yuri's eyebrow twitched at that stupid nickname. Now she saw how others felt when she gave them humiliating nicknames, a taste of her own medicine, perhaps? No, it was just annoying to hear it from that stupid mutt's mouth.

"Here to save your friend? Well, you can try but we won't let you!" Ken declared. To punctuate his words, he grabbed one of his sets of teeth.

"You people really should stop assuming things," Yuri responded pointedly, which caught them off-guard for a moment. "Save my friend? How? I have no weapons nor do I have a first aid kit."

Ken blanched at her reasoning.

"Dumb-ass," she scoffed under her breath.

Yuri watched through half-lidded eyes as Ken was about to retort, but Chikusa pointed something out.

"Didn't Mukuro-sama give you a gun?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Oh yeah, he did. Woops, that slipped her mind. Grabbing the black gun from out of nowhere, Yuri checked if there were any bullets inside. When she opened it up, she almost fell down.

If Yuri was her normal, short-tempered self instead of her Inner self currently, she would have ran back to Mukuro and beaten the crap out of him. Laughing continuously for a long time drained on Yuri's energy and made her tired. With a heavy sigh, which was unlike her, Yuri gave her gun for the two members of the Kokuyo Gang to see.

Chikusa gave a short, understanding nod while Ken began laughing like Yuri had previously done so.

Mukuro didn't given Yuri any ammo.

She promised to annoy him as much as possible the next time they met.

Birds' bird - now Hibird - began singing the Namimori Middle school anthem which drew their attention back to Gokudera.

Ken and Chikusa walked down the staircase, planning on finishing the silver-haired teen once and for all. Gokudera pulled out one stick of dynamite from his infinite supply and threw it backwards to the wall which hid Hibari. It was pretty impressive that he figured it out so easily, sooner or later they would realize that teamwork was important, Yuri privately remarked.

Ken foolishly jeered at Gokudera for 'missing'. As the smoke cleared, Gokudera began explaining on how he knew Hibari was there. Chikusa gave him a nice, small introduction.

The stupid mutt laughed nastily. "He tamed Birds' bird."

Hey, she did too… Yuri sighed softly and decided to watch the show.

Ken changed into _**Lion Channel**_. He developed orange fur, his hair grew and turned orange, and a tail was produced. Didn't lions have a golden coat of fur, not orange?

Hibari struck Ken twice with his tonfas. The impact sent the mutt flying through the window. Wow, Yuri had better think twice before messing with Hibari. Then she realized something else. Ah, it was too late for that wise piece of advice.

Chikusa was panicking visibly. "Ken!" he shouted in worry.

Yuri summed enough energy to smirk slightly. They did care for each other, now if only Mukuro started caring for them more too…

Watching Hibari fight filled Yuri up with energy. As she felt her inner crawl back within the depths of her mind, her crazy, short-tempered self took its place. It was so amusing to watch Hibari carry Gokudera reluctantly.

If only she had her camera to save this scene. Stupid Ken, did he have to fall out of the window? That didn't sound selfish at all, in her opinion.

oOoOo

The door slammed shut once Yuri left, cackling madly as she ran. The remaining individuals discovered Fuuta's location and who closed the door. It was killing two birds with one stone, that saying was gruesome in Nikoru's opinion.

Reborn and Nikoru were the only ones who noticed something wrong with the ranking boy. His eyes were void of emotion and he didn't even seem to respond to their words.

Bianchi stepped in front of him, trying to shield him from Mukuro's view. Her efforts were all in vain as Fuuta stabbed her with the trident. She couldn't handle the pain, so she was now unconscious.

Nikoru knelt down and began treating her wounds. Tsuna was busy handling Fuuta - who was under mind control - and Mukuro was watching with an amused smirk.

Tsuna bravely charged at Mukuro; if Mukuro was taken care of, then Fuuta should snap out of the mind control.

Nikoru facepalmed as Tsuna humiliated himself in front of the enemy, clumsy as Dino apparently. Soon enough, the tenth Vongola boss redeemed himself by freeing Fuuta. That was hyper intuition, alright. A proud smile formed on Nikoru's lips, this was only the tip of Tsuna's power. Her Inner Fangirl was squealing immensely.

She shook her head to rid her mind of the squeals and focused on Bianchi's wound. It appeared that the all the times she cared for Yuri's own injuries paid off after all. Stupid Yuri, always falling down or getting into pointless fights. Pushing her wandering mind back, Nikoru wrapped the bandages around Bianchi's wound carefully, as to not increase the damage.

Mukuro gave a detailed explanation for the group's benefit of he did just to lure Tsuna out. Treating poor Fuuta as a tool, Nikoru never realized how evil Mukuro was before Tsuna purified him. Mukuro continued explaining his skill and power to them. Villains shouldn't do that, the heroes always manage to use that against them.

Nikoru did nothing but watch Tsuna go through illusions and poisonous snakes. Reborn was confident in his words when he said that Tsuna was definitely going to defeat Mukuro. The current antagonist called Reborn and Tsuna's relationship a 'beautiful, trusting one', which Nikoru had to agree on, unless he was being sarcastic…

As the poisonous snakes came closer towards Tsuna, a tonfa appeared and caught Mukuro off-guard. Sticks of dynamite fell from the air and blew the snakes away. Standing in the entrance were Gokudera and Hibari, both seriously injured.

"Hibari! Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna exclaimed, relieved.

"Oi, I'm here too," grumbled a familiar voice. Yuri walked in, her Kokuyo uniform still intact and clean. Nikoru guessed that Yuri just stood by and watched.

"Oh, you too, Yuri-san," Tsuna added as though it were an afterthought.

"Don't sound so depressed!" she ordered angrily, shaking her fist.

Hibari threw Gokudera away as if were a piece of trash. Nikoru slapped herself at Hibari's obvious reluctance. He then proceeded to have a re-match with Mukuro. Yuri walked over to Nikoru, completely ignoring Gokudera and managing to step on his head too.

"Nikoru, do you have my camera?" she asked, squatting down next to her friend.

"Oh yeah," Nikoru nodded and grabbed the ebony camera which was kept safely in her pocket.

Yuri flashed Nikoru a grin as thanks.

Why did Yuri suddenly ask for her camera? Nikoru privately queried. Oh, that was why. In answer to her unvoiced question, Yuri began filming the fight between Mukuro and Hibari. Nikoru sent Yuri a questioning gaze, even though they'd been friends for quite awhile, she never fully understood what was going on with that head of Yuri's.

Noticing her raised eyebrow, Yuri turned to Nikoru slightly and whispered, "Blackmail," without a hint of embarrassment or shame in her admission. She turned back to her camera, grin in full-blast as Nikoru's head hung in shock at Yuri's weirdness.

Mukuro and Hibari were still going at it. The fight looked more like a dance than anything else. While fighting, they still seemed to have time to taunt each other.

"Don't underestimate them, Mukuro. They're still growing," Reborn said proudly.

"It seems so," was Mukuro's short reply.

"Hah! I told you that you shouldn't underestimate Tsuna and the others!" Yuri exclaimed smugly.

Mukuro sent her an icy stare, but Yuri simply stuck her tongue out at him. Nikoru was sure a twitch formed under Mukuro's eye, but he turned back to Hibari before she could confirm it.

Reborn gazed at Yuri shortly but looked away quickly. Nikoru didn't blame him, Mukuro and Yuri's relationship seemed interesting.

To Nikoru, it appeared that Mukuro had the upper hand. The sleeve on Hibari's left shoulder was drenched in blood. She pulled out a nose plug before the scent reached her nose. The ceiling was soon flooded with sakura.

Hibari feigned defeat, and using the element of surprise, he swung an uppercut against Mukuro's chest. Either than the slight widening of eyes, Mukuro seemed unfazed. Despite the blood flowing freely out of his mouth, Mukuro smirked.

Gokudera snickered from afar. "You weren't expecting this." All eyes flashed over to him as he continued. "I got medicine for Hibari from Shamal." Gokudera smirked as he held up the paper bag.

"Ah, liar!" Yuri accused. "You got that from me!" She scowled in his direction while Gokudera ignored her completely. It was probably revenge for stepping on him.

"Actually, I was the one who gave it to you," Nikoru corrected casually, not minding that Yuri took the credit. Nikoru only wanted to see her friend's reaction.

Yuri slowly turned around mechanically and placed a finger up to her lips, "Shh…" she shushed with shifty eyes.

Nikoru smiled and they both turned back to the thrilling battle in front of them. Hibari swung both of his tonfas at the same time, forming an 'X' shape. Mukuro grunted in pain and the sakura disappeared. Everyone felt as if something heavy was lifted off of their shoulders, everyone except Yuri, that is.

Yuri dropped her camera and looked down, her fringe concealing her face. She seemed down-hearted for some reason, but why?

Nikoru placed her hand on Yuri's shoulder. Yuri looked up at her and gave a small, sad smile. Nikoru nodded in understanding, a frown on her face, and walked over to Hibari who was currently surrounded by concerned…friends. Nikoru got ready and started disinfecting Hibari's shoulder wound first.

As she was working, a blur of blue and green flashed past her. Focusing all her attention on Hibari, Nikoru dismissed the thought and blocked out all distractions.

oOoOo

Yuri watched as Mukuro was 'taken out' - when in actuality, he was just resting. She ran over to Mukuro and stared. He looked so dead…he wasn't moving at all. If one didn't know better, they would have thought that Mukuro was asleep. Seeing him like this, up-close was weird to Yuri. It freaked her out how much he looked like a corpse.

She sunk to her knees and poked his cheek, seeing if he would react. Mukuro did nothing but twitch slightly, trying to keep up his facade. A devious smirk spread across her lips as her eyes twinkled with glee. She chuckled ever-so softly, no one heard other than herself and Mukuro heard.

Mukuro seemed to stiffen a little at her mischievous chuckle.

Yuri pulled her finger back and poked his side. No reaction. She used her other finger this time as well. One poked his cheek and the other poked his side. And that was how her furious poking spree began. Yuri's eyes were firm with grave determination, never looking away. It looked like a million arms began poking him. Yuri hoped she didn't fill him with holes…

"Umm…Yuri-san, what are you doing?" Tsuna asked her apprehensively.

Without stopping, she looked over to the others, they had mixed reactions.

Tsuna was obviously afraid. The man, that had so ruthlessly ordered his minions to injure so many people, was currently being poked and prodded by an indifferent Yuri. Being the easily-scared boy he was, Tsuna stared fearfully ahead.

Gokudera, in short, thought of Yuri as an idiot.

Nikoru was donning a huge grin, it stretched from ear-to-ear, Yuri noted silently. She liked it when Nikoru was displaying her amusement. For when Nikoru was happy, so was Yuri.

Reborn stared at Yuri with those huge black eyes of his. Yuri…didn't fear Mukuro, at all. It was unusual. Yuri was just a civilian, she never witnessed the horrors of the Mafia before, and yet here she was, poking the dangerous man continuously. It wasn't right.

In answer to Tsuna's question Yuri said, "Revenge. And I'm testing whether Mukuro's dead or not. He could secretly be a zombie," she elaborated with a blank face, speeding up the pokes.

Before Tsuna could tell me to stop, a hand shot out, grabbing one of her wrists. Yuri stopped the poking process and looked at the hand. Her eyes trailed up to the wrist, then up to the arm, then the chest, and then to the face. Mukuro was smiling playfully, but in his eyes were pure anger.

Yuri smiled hugely in response. "See, I told you he was a zombie."

"I am not a zombie. Why were you poking me so heatedly?" His smile was still in place while the flame of anger in his eyes increased. "I wouldn't be surprised if I was covered in bruises, or _holes,_" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Yuri grinned. "It's your fault," she reasoned simply, as if that would end the conversation. "I think you sprained my fingers." She inspected her fingers and wriggled them.

"That is your own fault," Mukuro said, satisfied that Yuri was in some sort of pain. His shoulders slumped marginally as his posture relaxed.

Something clicked in place as Tsuna suddenly screeched, "Rokudo Mukuro!"

Yuri rolled her eyes. Slow person…

Mukuro sat up and let go of Yuri's wrist, pulling out a stunning white gun which seemed to glow ominously.

He directed the gun in Tsuna's direction, making it seem as though he were going to shoot it at the brunette. Gokudera stood in the way, ready to take a bullet for his beloved boss.

"Let's meet again. Arriverderci," as he bade his farewell, Mukuro shot himself. His body fell backwards, landing on Yuri. Oh joy.

Seeing how Gokudera and Tsuna were too stunned to even think about helping her up, Yuri pushed Mukuro off and threw him aside unceremoniously.

"Nikoru, did you bring a marker?" she asked out of the blue, watching her best friend finish treating Hibari. Woops, she forgot Hibari was here…

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's in my bag. I'll get it." Nikoru said.

Nikoru didn't even bothering to ask why Yuri needed a marker. But shouldn't she be asking why Nikoru had a marker in the first place? …It was better to accept things as they were.

Yuri caught the marker which Nikoru tossed. She squat back down to her previous position. Pulling the cap off and unintentionally catching the intoxicating scent, she began drawing all over Mukuro's face. Hopefully, he wouldn't notice.

She drew the classics: a curly mustache, a short beard, and a line connecting his two eyebrows. She also added a few originals: she wrote the word 'caveman' on his forehead, a star under one of his eyes, and 'baka' going diagonally on one of his cheeks.

She took numerous pictures to store in her memories album and grinned happily. Pleased with her work, Yuri turned back to see Bianchi rising in a strange way, only to reveal that Mukuro was back.

"I told you he was a zombie," she repeated, serious. Yuri nodded with a grim face, but on the inside, she was laughing at their expressions. They may be thinking that it wasn't the time to make jokes, but to Yuri, it was all a game.

Wait, did Gokudera just say that Bianchi was under a curse? Yuri's grim expression was replaced with one of amusement. She began laughing as Reborn told Gokudera that it wasn't something _that_ ridiculous. He should really stop that monster and alien obsession of his.

Bianchi suddenly hit the floor and Tsuna went over to check if she was alright. Gokudera was now possessed, he almost got Tsuna, but he luckily dodged in time.

"Oh, so it wasn't luck." Gokudera- Mukuro said, slightly entertained. "You're the first to realize that I've possessed someone after one glance."

_What?_ Yuri couldn't contain herself and soon started shouting. "WHAT THE HELL? It's so obvious that you've possessed him. I mean, hello! Every person you possess gains that same red eye that you do. You also need to work on your acting skills, Mukuro." She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded solemnly.

Mukuro, who was in Gokudera's body, glanced over at her direction. Woops. But at least he was distracted from Tsuna.

"Kufufu. Yuri, you sure have a big mouth," he stated with a smile.

Yeah, well, so did Ken, Yuri inwardly grumbled.

"But once I take over your body, you'll lose the freedom to control it." His smile grew slightly.

Yuri instantly backed away ten huge steps. "Nuh-uh, stay away from me, you pedo!" she screamed and was happy to see Mukuro's eye twitch a little. A normal person wouldn't have noticed an almost undetectable twitch like that, but Yuri was far from normal.

"If you can't stab me with your pitchfork, then you can't enter my body. You've already been in a woman's body," she was talking about Bianchi, "and you've entered a _guy's_ body." Her horrified expression switched to an amused one.

Smile slipping a little, Mukuro corrected Yuri. "But I've already scratched you with her trident."

Ha, Yuri privately cheered, he didn't even deny that it was a pitchfork, but he didn't confirm it either…

Huh? When did he get her? Yuri stared into space, and after a while, realization dawned in her eyes.

"Oh…when we were arguing." She peered down at her chest where a cut was there, half-healed. "That really _is_ a perverted spot…." she recounted her earlier comment.

"_It's a trident, not a pitchfork," _were Mukuro's exact words before he took over her body. Smirking, Yuri let him take control without putting up a fight. There was nothing she could do but sit back and watch them fight anyway.

* * *

_Published date:_ 02-06-10

_Edited date: _26-09-10, 04-10-10


	9. Enter: Hyper Dying Will Tsuna

**Author's rants (IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!): **Mukuro's ability goes by many names: Paths, Realms, etc. I've put 'paths' because I watched the anime, instead of reading the manga like a good otaku. So when you see 'Second Path' and stuff like that, well you know what I mean, and that's what counts…right? Right. And to those who read this, CONGRATULATIONS! :D

Not as important: THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/FAVORITES/STORY & AUTHOR ALERTS~!

* * *

Chapter 9

_Enter: Hyper Dying Will Tsuna_

Gokudera, Yuri, Bianchi, Ken, and Chikusa's bodies were now all possessed by Mukuro. Reborn explained aloud how Mukuro was able to do all this. It was because of the Possession Bullet. Even the Sun Arcobaleno couldn't contain his shock at the fact that the illusionist was able to possess five people at once.

Using the Second Path, Path of the Hungry Ghost which was the skill that stole the enemy's abilities, Mukuro mercilessly struck both Tsuna and Reborn repeatedly.

Mukuro was too focused on trying to possess Reborn and Tsuna that he didn't seem to realize an extra observing silently in the shadows. Shirobara Nikoru sat there and watched as her best friend was possessed by a homicidal sadist. Lovely.

She watched as Mukuro used poison cooking, dynamite, channels, yo-yos, and bare strength against the duo.

"HIII! Who knew Yuri-san was so strong!" Tsuna screamed frantically and tried his hardest to dodge Yuri as she swung at him, blow after blow. Yuri didn't really have any proper training; most of it was merely pure strength.

While Yuri was distracting Tsuna, Gokudera threw a heavy amount of bombs at the brunette. Nikoru took a sharp intake of breath and reflexively ran up and pushed Tsuna out of harm's way.

"Nikoru-san!" Tsuna cried, eyes bulging noticeably. He was afraid that one of his friends had endangered themselves for him. It was the same for Gokudera, Yamamoto, Bianchi, and even Yuri - they all got hurt because of him. All because he was no-good and couldn't protect them.

A hand placed gently on his shoulder broke him out of his depressing thoughts. While Tsuna was busy thinking, Nikoru had gotten out of Gokudera's throwing range and back to the spiky-haired boy. Her athleticism made up for her mental slowness.

"You shouldn't worry, Tsuna-kun. I'll protect you this time, unlike before when I fainted because of all the blood." She tried to make light of the situation as a smile lit up her features. "I promise to protect you this time." Nikoru swallowed the guilt of feeding him promises that she couldn't keep. But when Tsuna's huge eyes lit up with a flicker of hope at her words, Nikoru's guilt disappeared and felt newly acquired determination. She would protect him.

Unfortunately, Mukuro finally noticed Nikoru and watched as the boy who was shivering in fear was now calm and hopeful, thanks to the girl that he didn't notice until now. Wait, he did notice her; he just didn't pay any attention to a weakling like her, yeah…that was it.

Mukuro, in Chikusa's body, had enough and changed from the Second Path to the Fourth Path (Path of Asura), planning to take Tsuna's body once and for all. But before he could start running, Chikusa's body suddenly fell down and hit the floor with a thud. The trident slid away and Ken's body picked it up, explaining aloud that it was normal for bodies to do that when they reached their limits.

Tsuna was appalled at Mukuro's view on humans; he treated everyone as toys or tools. Even the people he cared about didn't affect his belief the slightest bit. Nikoru's encouragement and his last strand of relaxation was gone as realization dawned on him as well as fear; Mukuro was going to overexert his friends and open up their wounds.

"I'm fine," Mukuro reassured no one in particular. "I don't feel pain," he said through Chikusa's body.

Tsuna was stunned into a silence for a second but soon snapped out of it. "What are you doing? Isn't that your nakama's body?" he screamed, finding courage somewhere within himself to scold the enemy.

The illusionist's eyes widened marginally. A certain blue-haired girl told him something similar to what the Vongola just said. '_Why aren't __you__ treating Bakodo-chan, isn't he your nakama?_' How many times must he repeat himself? Ken and Chikusa were mere tools for his convenience, and that was all they would be. Mukuro told the boy that once he possessed someone, it was _his_ body, not theirs. It was his right to decide whether the body broke or died.

"That's wrong." Tsuna disapproved of Mukuro's beliefs, not that the sadist cared about his or anyone else's opinions.

"Do you have time to be concerned about others, when you're about to be killed?" Bianchi stalked forward.

Nikoru jumped up and stood protectively in front of Tsuna who was on the floor in a vulnerable position. "Not if I can help it." She wasn't afraid of Mukuro…well she was, but she wasn't about to show it.

"How amusing." Gokudera advanced towards Tsuna. "Both of you are not suited for the mafia," Mukuro said without hesitation.

Blood was pouring from the siblings' wounds. Gokudera's chest wound had opened up and Bianchi's wound on her stomach was opening too.

Despite Tsuna's desperate protests for him to stop, Mukuro chuckled menacingly and all of the brunette's cries reached deaf ears.

"Kufufu, I remember now." Mukuro closed his eyes while he chuckled and opened them up again a second later. "When you were fighting Birds, you were about to stab yourself to save your girlfriend."

Tsuna's breath hitched at Mukuro's observation.

Nikoru was livid, a tiny scowl etched on her forehead. "She's not his girlfriend."

Mukuro tilted his head to the side and looked over Nikoru's put-off attitude. "Oya, jealous are we? Then, are you his girlfriend?" A devious smile played on his lips.

Tsuna blanched at Nikoru's abrupt denial to Kyoko being his girlfriend. He also choked on his saliva when Mukuro assumed that Nikoru was with him. Wait, why did the conversation switch from one thing to another so suddenly? And why was the topic about his love life?

While the admittedly strange conversation was taking place, Reborn watched the scene unfold with the tiniest glint of amusement in his eyes. When Nikoru got up and comforted his pupil, he felt his pet chameleon vibrate a little. And when she made Tsuna that promise, Leon shook even more. This intrigued Reborn to some extent. However, the girl's next actions caused the shape-shifting pet to cease shaking quite significantly, but it didn't stop him from shaking altogether.

Nikoru giggled, amused. "Of course I'm not jealous," she replied easily with a mirth-filled grin.

There went Tsuna's self esteem…

After Nikoru calmed down, she continued. "And no, I'm not his girlfriend. I just have an inner fangirl…" She muttered the last bit so that no one could hear, thankfully.

Mukuro thought it was a good time to end that strange conversation there. He turned back to Tsuna who was hanging his head in depression. "Because of your softness, you will be possessed by me." All light-heartedness was gone, it was back to being serious and dangerous.

"Listen well. If you don't want any further harm done to your friends, make a contract with me without running away," Mukuro, who spoke through Bianchi this time, offered.

Tsuna rejected the oh-so gracious offer and sought help from his tutor. Reborn simply told him to work things out on his own, _without_ asking for help from himself or Nikoru. The spiky-haired teenager pathetically begged for help from the Sun Arcobaleno, in reply he got a kick to his chin which sent him flying back.

Nikoru took a step forward, planning on rushing to his aid. But the home tutor wouldn't allow it. Reborn sent her a silencing gaze and jumped over to Tsuna himself. Nikoru tilted her head down fractionally in understanding, somewhat unnerved by Reborn's intense gaze.

After a few words from Reborn, Tsuna grew determined. He spoke out his true feelings; he wanted to defeat Mukuro and he didn't want to lose to such a terrible person.

"That's unexpected," Mukuro foolishly commented lightly at Tsuna's resolve. "I'll hear the rest of the story after I've possessed you and after you've killed your friends with your own hands!" In Yuri's body, Mukuro changed his eye to a '四' and a dying will flame emerged.

"No," Nikoru said firmly. She shifted her position so that Mukuro didn't have Tsuna in his line of sight anymore. "Even if I have to hurt my best friend's body, she will forgive me. I won't let anything happen to Tsuna-kun." Nikoru directed her hardened gaze towards Mukuro. Yuri wouldn't mind if her best friend dealt some blows towards her body, Nikoru was sure of that. So with that thought in mind, she found her resolve; to protect Tsuna and to beat Mukuro.

Mukuro wasn't affected by either Tsuna's or Nikoru's determined glares. Lifting his trident up, Mukuro was ready to make Yuri strike at the one closest to him; Nikoru. But Lady Luck decided to side with heroes once again. Leon shot up and glued himself upon the ceiling, long webs shooting out of his round form and sticking onto various surfaces.

The strange chameleon no longer looked ill. On the contrary, he seemed better than ever. Leon shined a brilliant shade of green and illuminated the dark room with a dazzling green glow.

After Reborn explained what his partner was doing, Leon began chewing while smiling; meaning that he was about to spit out a new item. For Dino, Leon spat out Enzio and a whip.

While Tsuna gazed with hopeful eyes, wishing for something like Enzio, Nikoru saw Yuri walk closer towards the brunette, planning on taking him out. As Mukuro broke out into a sprint, so did Nikoru. Without a weapon in hand, Nikoru decided to simply trip the illusionist over, hoping that it would work. She stuck out a foot, but there was no way such a plain tactic could defeat Rokudo Mukuro!

In normal circumstances it shouldn't have worked, but he was in Yuri's body. Nikoru knew Yuri had the worst luck due to that mirror she broke and that she was extremely clumsy. She and Dino were a lot alike actually.

Mukuro saw Nikoru's foot and planned to jump over it, although Yuri's athleticism wasn't all that great so he ended up tripping over it. The illusionist recomposed himself and got up, while muttering things along the lines of: "stupid, clumsy body". He threw the trident to Ken's body, thinking that it was best to stay out of the unlucky girl's body forever.

Ken slashed Leon in half, but being the fantastic shape-shifting animal that he was, Leon morphed back into a big green blob. Tsuna, Reborn, and Nikoru looked up to where Leon once was. In his place were small items that were blanketed in shiny white light.

Two mittens with a '27' on each glove made their way onto Tsuna's face. Whilst he was freaking out, Nikoru crept back into the shadows and played with something that also fell from the ceiling.

She sat down and folded her legs close to her chest, keeping what was left of the warmth within her. Nikoru placed her hands on top of her knees and stared at the little creature that was as big as both of her hands put together. On her open palms was a small white Siberian tiger cub which she received from Leon. She stared at it in amazement whereas the cub stared back with trusting blue-gray eyes.

A chameleon giving birth to a tiger. Nice.

Once their staring contest was done (Nikoru caved in easily as her eyes started to water from not blinking), Nikoru began stroking the tiny cub lovingly. She always wanted a Siberian tiger, a lion, cheetah, or a tiger for a pet. No, seriously. She even went as far as to ask Yuri to steal one for her - it didn't turn out so well.

"Hmm…do you have any powers, like Leon or Enzio? Wait, that's not important, the most important thing right now is your name," the strange girl said with the utmost seriousness. "…and your gender," she added as an afterthought.

The white tiger with black stripes stared at its new owner with its blue-gray eyes. Nikoru noticed that its eyes had tints of blue in it.

"Are you male?" Nikoru inquired, fully expecting the tiger to answer. The dense girl wasn't surprised when the miniature tiger nodded briefly. "Okay, now to figure out a name…" Blue-gray eyes, how unique. "How about Blue?" Nikoru was never the imaginative one.

The newly dubbed 'Blue' nodded in an uncaring manner. Blue was a sensible name and he was glad that his owner didn't name him something ridiculous, like 'Naru-chan'. Blue didn't know why he used that name as an example; it just came to him all of a sudden.

Nikoru looked back to the scene in front of her. She made it just in time to see Hyper Dying Will Tsuna enter the scene. Inwardly, she was squealing like crazy, her Inner Fangirl was going wild. Hyper Dying Will Tsuna was her favourite, after all. After that, it was Ten Years Later Tsuna and then it was normal Tsuna. She would never admit this, of course, the only one who knew of her Inner Fangirl was Yuri.

Mukuro was stunned by Tsuna's new-found abilities. In a few seconds, the Vongola calmly hit Ken, who crept up behind him in a sneak attack; saw through the illusions and knew instinctively where the real Chikusa was. Apparently, it was because of the Vongola's Hyper Intuition. Mukuro used Gokudera and Bianchi's body to beat up and toss Tsuna around like a rag doll. He didn't use Yuri's body just in case a similar incident would happen like previously so.

Tsuna's orange eyes briefly flashed towards Nikoru's, then back to the unconscious bodies of his friends. Trying to force her blush back, Nikoru nodded and walked over to them, her new pet asleep within the hood of her jacket. She began the bandaging process all over again.

Tsuna knew that Mukuro was alive and called him out of the shadows. Before Yuri blacked out, Mukuro saw what she had done to his face. To save himself from the humiliation, the illusionist somehow got the markings off.

Mukuro then proceeded to show the last skill: the Fifth Path, the Path of Humans. He clutched his red eye as it changed to a '五', the hand touching the eye grew dark and an ugly, dark aura surrounded him. The left of his face looked like it was dry and cracked, the right of his face was covered in the same murky colour as his hand.

Nikoru's shoulders slumped down. It was as if all the weight on the world was placed onto her. Unbeknownst to her, the suffocating atmosphere was simply the tension and malicious intent in the air.

Her breaths became ragged as the dark aura crept up on her, the creeping sensation was similar to one of bugs crawling over her. However, Nikoru instantaneously calmed down when Dying Will Flames flickered and licked Tsuna's X-Gloves. The air around became more pure and easier to breathe. Keeping her crazy Inner Fangirl at bay, Nikoru grabbed some ointment from the first-aid kit and applied it to Bianchi's wound.

Mukuro was beginning to panic. The 'aura' on Tsuna's X-Gloves wasn't an aura. It was much denser and it emitted heat. Tsuna proved that when he used the flames to melt the end of Mukuro's trident and twist the metal. Laughing maniacally, Mukuro revealed his intentions of luring Tsuna all the way out here and challenging him to a battle.

After the little speech, Mukuro sent an illusion after Tsuna, but secretly hid rocks in it. Jumping up, he lunged at Tsuna but was shocked at the boy's increased speed. Tsuna was behind Mukuro in an instant, both suspended in mid-air. Mukuro took a strong hit and came crashing down with a strangled cry.

Muukro deceived Tsuna, stating that the boy should finish him off. While the kind-hearted boy turned his back on him and rejected his offer, Mukuro smirked and grabbed Tsuna's hand, making sure he couldn't evade. The ex-convict brought his head back and hit it against Tsuna's. He tossed Tsuna forward toward the trident sticking out from the crack in the wall.

Instead of getting stabbed, Tsuna used his flames to rush back at Mukuro, full-speed. Grabbing hold of his forehead, Tsuna cleansed Mukuro's black aura, efficiently knocking him out. A giant crater lay underneath the illusionist's unconscious body. Tsuna extinguished his Dying Will Flame and began talking to Reborn.

They were interrupted when Ken and Chikusa crawled forward, army style. Yuri also got up and began limping towards them too.

Tsuna was surprised to see Ken and Chikusa stick up for Mukuro, even though they were possessed. He asked with intense curiosity as to why they would go to such lengths for Mukuro. Suffice to say, he was taken aback by the answer.

When Ken spoke about their past, there was so much malice and hatred in his rough voice. His eyes were glazed over and showed all the pain and suffering he endured. Once the heated conversation ended, three faceless men covered in white bandages entered.

They seemed to hover above the ground, making no noise except for the clanging of chains. As they floated in, a hazy mist surrounded the area they walked through.

Nikoru shifted nervously, causing Blue to pop his head out and see the commotion. At the sight of the mysterious strangers, the small cub hissed hostilely.

The bandage-clad men paid the others no attention and left with the three escapees, metal collars by their necks dragging them back to Vindicare prison.

The Vongola medical team soon arrived. With multiple gurneys, they moved the injured away to the hospital. Yuri protested, saying that it was only a sprained ankle but when she took a step forward she fell down, face-first. She reluctantly left, with a second-degree sprained ankle _and _a wounded pride. Nikoru rolled her eyes at her best friend's idiocy, but soon found herself grinning.

Fortunately for Yuri, Tsuna passed out in a more embarrassing way. The Rebuke Bullet took a lot on his body so he collapsed in pain. The only one who remained unscathed was Nikoru…and Blue.

Nikoru sweat-dropped as Reborn jumped onto his student's shoulder and fell asleep before he could finish talking. Standing there for a few seconds, Nikoru realized something. "Eh? I'm all alone." She blinked slowly. "How am I supposed to get home…?"

Shrugging, she decided to follow Reborn's plan. She pulled Blue from her hood and curled herself up into a ball, hugging her new pet close to her chest. Nikoru felt the drowsiness crash over her and gradually fell asleep.

* * *

_Published date: _09-07-10

_Edited date: _04-10-10


	10. Enter: Sasagawa Kyoko, Miura Haru

**Author's rants:** Sorry for not inserting much comedy in the previous chapter. DX But I didn't want Nikoru to be so much like Yuri, so yeah. :D Hopefully, this chapter will make up for it. I might start Varia arc in the next chapter.. probably. I wanted to try and write the Daily Life arc first. :3

Disclaimer's in my profile, so don't sue me. I'm poor and cheap. And if i owned KHR, I would totally make Kyoko less of a Mary Sue and more of a bad-ass girl (like Yuri). :D

* * *

Chapter 10

_Enter: Sasagawa Kyoko, Miura Haru_

It was a nice and peaceful day, a fresh start. White fluffy clouds were complimenting the blue sky and bright sun. Now that the delinquents who were terrorizing Namimori Middle students were dealt with, the majority of said town were relaxed and peaceful. Too bad Kuraihana Yuri never fell into majorities.

"OH MY GOD!" an ear-piercing shriek could be heard from the Yamamoto Sushi Restaurant. A girl with odd hair and eye colour hastily went through her daily morning routine. However, this morning she decided to wake up extra early. Which was shocking - Kuraihana Yuri wasn't a morning person.

Taking three steps at a time, which wasn't wise as she tripped and stumbled more than a few times, Yuri hurried to the kitchen and grabbed two bentos. One was smaller than the other. The smaller one was wrapped in a purple handkerchief and the larger one was wrapped in a blue one.

Yamamoto Takeshi stood outside his family restaurant, wincing at Yuri's cries when she managed to trip over an invisible rock. It was only six thirty A.M. and yet he looked as jovial as ever. The sun was already up, seeing how it was spring. A yellow bird with an orange cloth wrapped around one of its tiny wings, could be seen flying around Namimori.

The baseball-player jogged at a brisk pace with his loud friend/roommate. He laughed merrily when he remembered why she was doing this.

Yuri shot a glance at the happy-go-lucky boy next to her. She wondered if asking Yamamoto to drop her off to school during his morning jog was such a good idea. In Yuri's opinion, what sane person got up at six thirty A.M. to go jogging? Oh, right. Most people in Namimori weren't sane at all. She sighed and adjusted her bag to lessen the chance of it falling off. Both bentos couldn't fit so she held the blue one in her hands, the purple one was of utmost priority so she stored it in her bag.

Yamamoto grinned and waved to Yuri as he kept running straight. Yuri slowed down to a relaxing stroll and returned the wave whilst entering the gates of hell- of Namimori Middle School.

The same yellow bird with the orange cloth flapped its wings and gracefully landed on his owner's bento. Yuri gave a sleepy smile and ruffled its feathers; it was her way of showing affection. Pulling a sunflower seed out of nowhere, Yuri fed it to the bird.

Sitting down on her chair, Yuri placed her bag on its hook and the bento on the top right-hand corner of her desk. She held out her hand, the bird took it as a sign to flop down and rest on it.

"Naru-chan, long time no see," the teenager spoke to the bird.

'Naru-chan', as he was dubbed, bopped his head up and down. He was always a bird of few words.

"I'm guessing you flew away during the battle between that psycho pineapple and the timid tuna?" Yuri gave a goofy smile at the unintentional alliteration. She was ecstatic to accomplish something like that; her brain was half-asleep, after all.

Naru-chan nodded once again to her previous question.

"Smart move," smirked the bird owner, proud that her little boy was so smart.

Yawning, Yuri thought it was best to take a quick nap before other students began piling in. She folded her arms onto the desk and laid her head on top, her forehead atop of her arms so she was facing the desk. Naru-chan flew up and repositioned himself so that he was now on her head, his own personal nest of blue locks. The duo fell asleep simultaneously.

oOoOo

Shirobara Nikoru jumped up in her uncomfortable make-shift bed when she heard an ear shattering scream. The fourteen-year-old shrugged. It must have been her imagination and, with that thought in mind, she got ready for her second year of Middle school.

It was still quite early, which would explain why she felt so fatigued, but it was the start of a new year of school so she thought it was best to arrive on time without having to worry about being late. Nikoru's eyes travelled to her two roommates and found it hard to believe that they slept through that screech.

Stifling a yawn, the amber-eyed girl walked downstairs for breakfast. She felt like she was forgetting something, but what?

Her unvoiced query was answered when a certain brunette screamed in fear.

Nikoru's eyes widened comically and dashed back to her shared bedroom. On her futon was a fully-grown white Siberian tiger with blue-gray eyes. Tsuna was quivering in fear from where he sat in his bed, Lambo was an arm's distance away from the feline's giant head, equally afraid of the creature.

It took a few seconds of anxious silence for realization to hit Nikoru. "Blue?" she asked in astonishment. How did her tiny cub turn into a fully grown tiger in half a day? "How did you get so big?"

Tsuna and Lambo were stunned into silence.

"Is this what Leon spat out for you?" Reborn's squeaky voice piped up. When Nikoru nodded vigorously, his lips curled up into a smirk. "Interesting. It must be the same as Enzio. That stupid cow over there," his eyes flashed over towards Lambo who stiffened under his gaze, "fed the tiny version of 'Blue' some candy. Tigers are carnivores, so when the stupid cow fed it something that _wasn't_ meat, it caused that reaction."

Nikoru's face scrunched up. "So, unless I want Blue to grow to an insane size, I have to keep it away from foods other than meat? Oh God." She sighed, feeling more tired than ever. "I'm going down to get some meat." At the sound of 'meat', Blue swung his tail and purred loudly.

He was simply an oversized cat.

After turning Blue back into a tiny cub, Tsuna and the gang (Gokudera somehow ended up walking with Tsuna and Nikoru) met up with the Sasagawa siblings. Ryohei, the exuberant one of the pair, ran off with Tsuna while the others chased after them. Nikoru had a nice, girly chat with Kyoko. It was a pleasant change once in a while.

oOoOo

The door of classroom 1-A slid open and a raven-haired boy gracefully walked towards the sleeping figure. A metallic click could be heard within the empty room. As the boy was about to strike with his tonfa, he noticed a yellow bird perched on the girl's head. Both animal and human stared at each other, neither wanting to back down.

The bird's eyes snapped open when he heard the door open. Unlike his owner, Naru-chan was a light sleeper and never let his guard down. He _did_ belong to a criminal beforehand. The bird was like a bodyguard, protecting its owner.

Hibari was inwardly debating whether or not he should hit the herbivore sleeping in front of him. If he did, then the bird (which looked similar to his own) would be injured. Hibari Kyoya didn't like hurting animals, because in actual fact…HIBARI KYOYA WAS A TSUNDERE!

Displeased, Hibari changed the position of his tonfa so that the bottom part was in front. Using the tonfa, Hibari nudged her awake by poking her arm, as if touching her would infect him with some sort of disease.

That slight nudge caused Yuri to stir. Peering through half-lidded eyes, the girl met Hibari's cold gaze. She murmured a sleepy 'good morning' and sat up, stretching her arms and arching her back.

"Herbivore, sleeping on school grounds is prohibited," he stated in that demanding tone of his. "You shouldn't be in the classroom anyhow. It is the start of a new year meaning that you must be outside where the noticeboard is located, stating which class you are in."

Yuri was too tired to retort, "Oh," she uttered. "Thanks for informing me, Kyo-chan. Who knew you were such a nice guy." She plastered an odd grin on her lips.

"Hn. I don't do things unless I get repaid for it. You owe me one. Go to the Reception room during lunch, or else," he commanded and let the 'or else' hang in the air whilst he walked out.

Yuri's grin fell. "Greedy skylark." She left with her possessions, yawning widely in the process, and strolled leisurely towards the front gate.

Naru-chan was repeating her previous comment over and over again. Unlike Hibird, Naru-chan's voice wasn't as high-pitched. His voice was like a little boy's voice, i.e. Reborn, Lambo. It wasn't deep as a man's and yet it wasn't as high as a girl's.

Yuri made her way out of the building, when she saw Yamamoto's tall figure walking directly in front of her and towards Tsuna and the gang. All grogginess disappearing, Yuri ran at an inhuman speed towards the boy. He didn't tell her that it was a new year and didn't he tell her that she had to go to the noticeboard at the front, and for that, Yuri was going to give him an earful.

As Yamamoto opened his mouth and was about to talk, Yuri rushed over and grabbed his collar - which was an amazing feat considering their height difference. Yamamoto was stunned for a while, not quite hearing the girl's words but he was brought out of his daze soon enough and began laughing. It was so funny; Yuri was just like a female Gokudera.

Seeing how Yuri wasn't going to stop shouting anytime soon, Nikoru cut in, "If Yamamoto-kun didn't tell you that it was a new year, who did?" Everyone else was thinking the same question.

Yuri let go of the grinning teenager and calmed down. She turned to Nikoru, a scowl/pout forming. "Kyo-chan did. But now I have to repay him, that stupid greedy bastard."

Nikoru smiled an all-knowing smile. It was just like Hibari to do that.

Tsuna facepalmed at Hibari's reason. The prefect certainly was…unqiue.

Gokudera scowled - nothing new there.

Ryohei's eyes were ablaze with awe. He was excited to see Yuri run over so fast and get hold of someone who was bigger than her _without _anyone noticing.

Kyoko was just smiling and giggling, as usual.

"Yuri-chan," Kyoko spoke with a carefree smile, "you shouldn't be using such colorful words, you're only fourteen _and_ you're a girl."

Tsuna nodded slightly and fell even more in love with her. He thought Kyoko as brave for scolding a fierce person such as Yuri, even though they were meeting for the first time.

Yuri was taken aback. She never really liked Kyoko when she watched the anime. She was just too calm and never got angry, Yuri saw Kyoko as a Mary-Sue. Most of the main female characters in Katekyo Hitman Reborn were only there for emotional support, i.e. "Tsuna-kun! Tsuna-san! Do your best! Come back safely!" Yuri felt an involuntary shudder make its way throughout her body. She replayed Kyoko's comment; something the caramel-haired girl had said confused her.

Yuri tilted her head to side and furrowed her eyebrows. "Huh? I'm not fourteen…I'm thirteen."

The male portion of the gang's jaws dropped. Nikoru already knew, so she wasn't affected. Kyoko's eyes widened marginally.

At their astonished faces, Yuri elaborated, "Since it's April right now, my birthday will be in two months. Don't look so shocked; I started school when I was young and I'm only eight months younger than Nikoru and seven months younger than Tsuna… "

"Yuri-san, h-how did you know my birthday?" Tsuna was nervous. He didn't tell anyone his birthday, so how did Yuri know? It wasn't like she got a hold of his personal records…right?

Yuri blinked. What an odd question. "Oh, I'm a stalker," she said and nodded somberly. "What were you about to say before I interrupted you, Takeshi?"

Yamamoto's expression turned into a worried one, which meant he was about to deliver bad news. The baseball fanatic announced that he and Tsuna were in separate classes.

Gokudera had a smug smirk plastered all over his face. "It's a shame." His face said the complete opposite. "Don't worry. Just leave the Tenth in my care." The bomber patted Yamamoto on the back.

Yamamoto's expression never wavered. "You're in a different class too."

Gokudera snickered but he froze over when he heard what Yamamoto said.

Yuri laughed at Gokudera's strange face. She doubled over in hysterics while Nikoru's lip twitched, trying and failing to hide her amused smile.

"We're all separated," Yamamoto stated glumly.

"Wait," Yuri calmed herself down, "ALL of us? What about me and Nikoru?"

The gang rushed over to the noticeboard, Yuri and Gokudera shoving everyone out of the way unceremoniously. While Tsuna was fussing over being in a separate class from Kyoko, Yuri smirked triumphantly.

"Yay! I'm in class A with Nikoru! Haha, we've been in the same class since the 4th grade meaning we're inseparable!" Yuri exclaimed to no one in particular as a giant flame appeared in the background.

Nikoru was content with the class selections. She was with her best friend and Tsuna. Nikoru caught a glimpse of the brunette's downhearted demeanor and gave a comforting pat on his fluffy locks. It was a pleasant feeling, a feeling that she missed.

"Don't worry, Tsuna-kun. Even if the others are separated, you still have me and Yuri," she tried to cheer him up with encouraging words.

Tsuna smiled at her efforts and looked at Yuri, who was still laughing quite madly. All hope was extinguished for the poor boy.

Reborn entered the scene just in time, cosplaying as 'Vongolavsky'. Everyone besides Tsuna, Nikoru, and Yuri seemed to be deceived by the obvious cosplay. Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera went off to chase the hitman while Nikoru and Yuri sat down on the ground and talked.

The two girls recounted their experiences so far. Whilst they were talking, Yuri provided jaw-cracking yawns several times. Having enough of the interruptions and worried for her childhood friend, Nikoru asked what was wrong.

"Snoring Demon King," she answered bluntly.

"Snoring Demon King?" Nikoru repeated sceptically.

Yuri nodded drowsily. "Yamamoto and Ossan snore even louder than me-" Nikoru raised an eyebrow there, "-I only slept for a few hours when a nightmare crept into her mind. I was stressing out for half an hour, and when I tried to fall asleep again…" Yuri scowled, "I couldn't, because their snoring kept me up. So I spent the whole night reading fanfiction and re-watching KHR."

"What was the nightmare about?" Nikoru questioned innocently. Yuri never had nightmares and when she did, it never woke her up. That nightmare must have bene really frightening, scary enough to wake a deep sleeper like Yuri.

"…I'll tell you later," she answered hesitantly. "I found so many new fanfics last night about ChromeXHibari." Yuri shuddered violently, eyes widening noticeably. "How could someone pair up cute, innocent Chrome," her voice was gentle and caring when talking about the purple-eyed girl, "with that idiot." Yuri was similar to a demon right now, she growled when talking about Hibari and her eyes flashed menacingly.

Nikoru simply nodded in understanding. Yuri only supported Canon pairings like Lal and Colonello.

'_**Kufufu, who is this 'Chrome' person?'**_

"None of your business, Mukuro," Yuri spoke aloud, slightly miffed that he was eavesdropping.

Everything had gone quiet. You could even hear a pin drop or explosions from within the school that suddenly went off.

"…Mukuro?" Both of Nikoru's eyebrows shot up, eyes broadening in the process.

"Ah, well, you see…"

oOoOo

Yuri headed for her mountain of mattresses located a few meters away from Yamamoto's bed. She laid down on her stomach and turned on her laptop. Yuri hadn't used it in _soooooo_ long.

Once she logged onto Facebook, her profile was piled up with messages from her friends, as was her inbox. Most of them were asking whether Nikoru and her were okay, where they were, and why they were missing.

Yuri explained to everyone that she and Nikoru were fine and that they had gone to a Japanese boarding school. She told them that the principal forced her to go because of her behaviour, (which was something that seemed believable) and Nikoru had to go because she was Yuri's partner in crime- ah, because she had a control over Yuri and would stop her from doing anything too extreme.

Yuri notified Fuyu of the truth, though. Fuyu had a special position in Yuri's heart, much like Nikoru. Even though they had been friends for only two years, they were so much alike - considering that they were both random and weird. Fuyu almost died when she heard that Nikoru and Yuri were in an anime world - because she, too, was a Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fan, although she didn't obsess like Yuri and Nikoru did.

Yuri was in the middle of telling Fuyu how idiotic she thought Mukuro was, when Yamamoto walked in. He informed Yuri that it was time to sleep, she looked at the time; it was 10 P.M. Yuri had just spent two and a half hours talking to Fuyu. They spent two hours catching up and thirty minutes talking about random things that came to their minds.

Sighing, Yuri logged off and placed her laptop away. Pulling the covers up to her shoulders, Yuri muttered a 'good night' to Yamamoto and was prepared for sleep to claim her. She didn't have to wait long.

The warmth provided by her blankets suddenly disappeared as did her comfort. Instead of feeling her soft mattress, underneath her back she felt something cold and hard. Yuri tried to move her body but something was holding her back.

She lifted her head up (the only thing that she could actually move right now) and saw three leather straps securing herself onto an uncomfortable table. One strap was fastened on top of her chest and shoulders, another was fixed firmly on her stomach and arms, and the other was clasped on her thighs.

Yuri surveyed the area around her. She was in a room cluttered with many machines. But before she could look any further, the door slammed open. Three men walked towards her. They wore lab coats that were white, just like the room. Their colour blindness astounded Yuri.

The men crowded around her. One had a clipboard in hand, another was bringing forward a gray tray towards the final man who was so close to Yuri that she could touch him; or hit him. If only she weren't restrained…

On the gray tray were various tools. One particular tool caught Yuri's eye; the one that the man closest to her was carrying. It was shaped like a butter knife, but the tip was much sharper and coated in crimson liquid.

Blood.

The man inched closer to Yuri. It didn't take a genius to figure out his next move. She stared at the man, giving him a pleading look as she felt tears well up. The man's cold eyes held no regret, it was more like content. He was perfectly happy to cut Yuri up like a lab rat.

Yuri hopelessly struggled against the binding straps. But…she was dreaming, right? She wouldn't feel pain or else she would wake up…right?

Wrong.

The man lifted the tool up towards Yuri's eye and brought it down. Yuri screamed in pain and agony. It felt like something hot and sharp was piercing itself into her eye. She heard the nauseating sound of something squashing; it was her eye.

The man lifted the tool out and all three surveyed her eye curiously. Yuri was still thrashing about, like a fish out of water. Even though the tool was out, her eye was still burning. It felt like boiling water was poured over her eye. One of the men held up a mirror, and in it Yuri saw something that stunned her so much that she stayed absolutely still.

On the mirror was a table, and on it was Rokudo Mukuro with a newly-gained red eye with a '六' etched onto it.

Yuri did the only thing she could think of. She screamed.

Yuri gasped aloud. She was back in her and Yamamoto's room. Yamamoto was still asleep without a care in the world. Yuri sat up and shivered slightly at how realistic that dream was, everything was so vivid. Even the pain…she felt it. Was this because of the mental link she made with Mukuro? But, Yuri hadn't activated it yet and, unless she did so, nothing should happen…

Trying her best to forget that horrid nightmare, Yuri went back on her laptop. With any bit of luck, fanfiction and anime could take her mind off of things. Yuri began watching episodes of a certain Mafia-centred anime, starting off with the very first episode. By the time she reached episode twenty-eight, the sun started rising. Yuri shot a glance at the clock - it was six in the morning. Yay, she had thirty minutes of sleep left.

Yuri fell back onto her mattress and closed her eyes, once again waiting for sleep to wash over her. Hopefully, the nightmares wouldn't return.

But then again, Yuri was never a lucky person.

Yet again, her warmth and comfort disappeared, but thankfully, she wasn't in that cold white room anymore. This time, Yuri was sitting on a lush green field of grass. It was comfortable. The sky was blue and fluffy clouds were spotted here and there. The sun was shining strongly, like the way it did on late afternoons and early evenings. It was Yuri's favourite time of the day.

The green grass stretched endlessly, there were a few trees and flowers here and there, but the one thing that caught her eye was a boy with pineapple hair.

Mukuro stood in front on Yuri, a playful smile on his lips. He wore what he usually wore when they show him in Chrome's mindscape. So this place was _her_ mindscape? Nice.

Tense feeling vanishing, Yuri laid down on the soft grass and stared at the fluffy clouds. She felt Mukuro sit down beside her. Strange. Hey, wait-!

"Mukuro, how are you here?" Yuri asked, inwardly berating her idiocy. The mental link was supposed to allow both of them to have mental conversations (arguments). Mukuro shouldn't be appearing in her mindscape. He should only be able to do this with Chrome. Why was that again? Oh yeah, because he possessed her. Aw, crap. Mukuro possessed Yuri back in Kokuyo Land, so now…

"Fuck my life," she deadpanned, glowering.

"Girls shouldn't use such language," Mukuro chided Yuri with a playful smile.

She feigned mock hurt. Yuri placed a hand on her chest and gasped dramatically, "I am not a girl!"

Mukuro sweatdropped and smiled. "Kufufu. Whatever you say," he told her airily.

Yuri abruptly turned serious. "That dream… It wasn't a dream was it…?" Her voice was soft, Mukuro almost didn't hear it.

Mukuro stood up and took a few steps forward, causing Yuri to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. He gazed ahead, focused on something else as his bi-coloured eyes glazed over.

"A memory," he began, "of my past - of what _they _did to me." Mukuro's smile slipped slightly but he soon plastered a fake one before turning back to Yuri. Mukuro didn't want Yuri to pity him. "But they are dead now. It was a satisfying feeling to see their bodies crumple right in front of my eyes; to know that I killed them," Mukuro rambled on. He was waiting for Yuri to lash out at or him to grimace in disgust, but she simply wore a sad smile.

"Ah, the feelings of knowing that you've gotten rid of the people who have caused you pain." Yuri's had a faraway look in her eyes. The usual spark in her blue eyes was gone. "Vengeance, am I right?"

Mukuro's eyes widened. He really should know by now that Yuri would always say something unexpected.

A relaxing silence fell over them. Mukuro decided to bring up something that was nibbling on the edge of his mind.

"Yuri, do tell me why Ken, Chikusa, and I are in a fictional story?" His playful smile was back.

Yuri gulped audibly and her eyes widened in shock. "Y-you mean you saw that? You were watching everything through my eyes the whole time?"

Mukuro nodded.

Yuri inhaled deeply through her nose and was about to explain, when reality pulled her back.

oOoOo

"So it was you who screamed." Nikoru seemed to be more focused on that than anything else.

Yuri shook her head. Typical. "Yeah, but isn't there something more important that we should be talking about?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Mukuro knows, but at least he doesn't know what's going to happen next." Nikoru looked towards the bright side.

Yuri smiled. "True. I only watched up to this episode. I already explained to Mukuro our situation when I fell asleep in the classroom this morning. Speaking of classrooms," Yuri glanced up towards the building, "let's get to our new one."

"How do you know what class we're in?" Nikoru inquired, curious. She hoped Yuri wouldn't give her a vague answer revolving around how awesome Yuri was.

"Hmm, I'm sure Reborn would want all of Tsuna's family members to be in the same class."

Nikoru's mouth formed an 'O' shape and walked together with Yuri up to classroom 2-A.

During lunch, Yuri hurriedly ran to the Reception room. Without bothering to knock, she threw the door open unceremoniously and walked over to Hibari who was seated behind his desk, watching her with narrowed eyes.

"Herbivore, in future times open and close the door in a less boisterous manner," he commanded coldly. Receiving a blank stare in response, Hibari moved onto more important manners, like why he summoned her. "You fail as a secretary," he said without any emotion.

Yuri shrugged. She never wanted to be a secretary. She wanted to be a part of the Disciplinary Committee so that people all over Namimori could fear her- well, fear her red and gold armband. That was her reason, to gain the power so that people wouldn't even look at her strangely without quivering in fear. Yes, Yuri was quite…amazing, in her own manipulative way.

"So you are now demoted to being the Disciplinary Committee's dog."

Yuri's eye twitched. "EHHHHHHHH?"

Unfazed by Yuri's big mouth, Hibari dived into further details. "Whenever I call you, you must cease in what you are doing and go to me. Whenever there is something you have to do, you must complete your task without any complaints."

"Argh! You can't tell me what to do!" the short-tempered girl protested vehemently.

"This would not have happened if you had not chosen to simply sit by and watch entertainedly as Rokudo Mukuro," Hibari narrowed his eyes, "…fought me."

Didn't he mean 'beat me to a pulp'? Yuri noticed the slight pause as Hibari struggled to find the right words. His pride wouldn't allow him to admit defeat. Though Mukuro did have an unfair advantage seeing how he knew of the Sakura-kura disease whereas Hibari did not.

'_**It was his own fault that he was unaware.'**_

'_I thought I cut the mental link… Oh, whatever. And Kyo-chan __did__ burst in and challenge you oh-so cockily_…_'_

"…So this is revenge?" Yuri summarized Hibari's intentions. The stubborn girl knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later, so she made a certain something for the prefect. "Hey, Kyo-chan, do you think you can let me go this one time?"

Hibari's instincts told him something was wrong by that tone the herbivore had used. It was too innocent and sickly sweet. He wasn't going to fall for her trap.

"I made you your favourite…" Yuri pulled out the purple bento and plopped it onto Hibari's desk. "Hamburger." She flashed a devious grin.

Hibari's gray eyes broadened somewhat, but it soon returned to its normal size. He merely grunted and dismissed the cunning girl who was hiding a triumphant smirk.

oOoOo

Reborn invited Yuri, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Kyoko, and Haru over to Tsuna's house for a sleepover, in celebration for advancing.

Yuri snorted at the image of guys having sleepovers. It was too weird.

Tsuna was having mixed feelings about this. A sleepover with other guys was weird but even more so when the girls were joining in too.

Gokudera was glad to stay with his beloved Tenth but was disgruntled to hear that the baseball idiot and the blue one would be there too.

Kyoko and Haru were ecstatic. It was their first mixed sleepover.

Nikoru was a bit apprehensive. Yuri and Kyoko's short meeting today wasn't exactly great, but it could have been worse. Now that they had to spend a whole night together, Nikoru was worried that her best friend might snap and show her Inner self.

Yuri didn't like girly girls. She preferred normal ones and…not-so-normal ones. Yeah, Yuri attracted a lot of weirdos and managed to befriend them through the procedure.

The guests all sat around in a lopsided circle in the Sawada living room. Kyoko and Haru were talking animatedly about a new cake. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna were discussing something random. And Yuri was informing Nikoru about what happened with Hibari.

"Hamburger? You made a hamburger?" Nikoru asked her friend disbelievingly. Yuri was pretty good at cooking, but she was too lazy to lift a finger when someone else could.

"Yep, for bribing purposes only." She wore a smug smirk. "I know what you're thinking, it's not a burger. Japanese people pronounce it 'hamburger' but it's actually Salisbury steak."

"Ohhhh. Really? I thought it was a burger…"

"Slow person," Yuri deadpanned and shook her head at her dense friend. "I'm not sure if it's true though. I got it from Wikipedia _{A/N: I don't own!}_ so it might be complete and utter bullshit."

All conversations died down, however, as the room dimmed and a spotlight fell on Reborn. Tsuna screeched at the mortifying attire. The small hitman looked as though he got a toy bear, tore out all the stuffing, and cut off the bear's face so that his own face could fit. Other than that, it looked quite adorable. Yuri pushed back the urge to hug him.

The Arcobaleno's lips curled up into a smirk. "Let's play Truth or Dare." There were some groans and outbursts of not wanting to play from Gokudera, Yuri, and Tsuna, but Reborn sent them a chilling gaze which efficiently shut them up.

Reborn chose Tsuna as the first victim. The small boy chose Truth.

"Hmm…" Yuri hummed in thought. "Who do you like better: Gokudera or Haru?" She snickered as the colour on Tsuna's face drained.

"I-I can't choose!" The small boy flung his arms around wildly in protest.

"But it's Truth or Dare, and you _have_ to answer truthfully." Yamamoto felt compelled to explain the rules of the game to his friend.

"Tsuna-san obviously prefers Haru over Gokudera-san! Because Haru is Tsuna-san's future wife!" the chestnut-haired girl declared.

"Hah! As if!" Gokudera scoffed. "As the Tenth's right hand man, I mean much more to him than an annoying woman!"

As the two bickered like an old couple, Reborn moved onto Nikoru. She chose Truth.

Before anyone could ask her a question, Reborn intervened. "Explain how you and Yuri suddenly appeared at Yamamoto's place so suddenly."

Nikoru spared a hasty glance to Yuri, who returned the look and nodded. Everyone either than those three were busy trying to cool the still bickering duo down.

"Yuri and I…" Nikoru paused and shifted uncomfortably. "We come from a different world. From our world, this world is a fictional story that has been turned into a hit anime/manga. Yuri and I are kind of obsessed," she flushed and hid her embarrassment with a cough. Yuri smirked. "So we know what's going to happen."

Reborn pondered that for a few seconds and then, "That…didn't answer my question. Not one bit."

Nikoru's face met the ground as Yuri facepalmed and the pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something along the lines of "Oh God…"

"I'll answer that," Yuri volunteered. "There's this witch, her name's Majo, and she was bored so she decided to send us here. Being the idiot she is, she sent us to any random place. I'm surprised she didn't send us to some crazy pedophile, then again, I wouldn't put it past her… "

Yuri and Nikoru let Reborn to digest this new piece of information.

Maybe that was why he couldn't read either of the girls' minds - because they weren't from this world. Perhaps their minds were set on a different frequency. Things were about to get lots and lots more interesting…

'_Oi, Mukuro.' _Yuri silently addressed.

'_**Hm?' **_Mukuro responded disinterestedly.

'_You know how I was talking about a crazy pedophile? Yeah…I was talking about you.' _The amusement was clear in her voice.

**'…'**

"Aww, he cut off the link," Yuri whined aloud, causing Reborn and Nikoru to cast her strange looks.

The trio finished talking and went back to the game. Haru and Gokudera's argument was forgotten, along with Tsuna's Truth question (which he was glad for).

It was Yuri's turn, she didn't want to choose Dare since Mukuro would be watching, too, so she chose Truth.

"Hahi! I heard that you're living with Yamamoto-san," Haru commented. "You shouldn't be living all alone with boys." Haru fussed over Yuri much like a mother would.

Yuri took a liking to Haru. She'd take Haru over Kyoko any day. 'Tsuna's future wife' was also an otaku, although she wasn't as crazed as Yuri or Nikoru. At least Haru knew of the mafia and wasn't as oblivious as Kyoko.

"True, but do you think Takeshi would do something indecent? And even if he did," Yuri chuckled darkly, "a painful fate lies ahead of him." A million scenarios ran through her head, each more sadistic than the last. "Oh, and Nikoru is living with Tsuna."

"HAHI? Tsuna-san, what is the meaning of this?" Haru screeched, outraged. The infamous 'Hate Flame' blazing intensely behind her as Yuri snickered at the trouble she caused.

Tsuna was inwardly cursing Yuri while trying to calm down Haru with his excuses. The stutters weren't helping.

"But what about your parents?" Kyoko questioned in a curious and worried tone. "You and Nikoru-san suddenly moved to Namimori and we haven't heard of any guardians or adults with you."

"Ah, it's a touchy subject so I'd rather we not talk about that." Yuri forced a smile, trying to keep the venom out of her words. If they pressed any further, she would explode with rage. "Haha, that question counts as my 'Truth' question," Yuri teased, hoping to steer the topic of conversation to something less troublesome.

"But that's against the rules," Yamamoto chided cheerfully, laughing all the way.

The baseball fanatic and his rules, Yuri rolled her eyes. "Fine, I choose Dare. No one else has." Forget embarrassing herself in front of Mukuro, keeping her childhood a secret was far more important.

Reborn popped up, still clad in his bear outfit. "I dare you to wear this for the rest of the year." The toddler smirked as a cunning glint shined in his eyes. He held up a black, rectangular box which Yuri received hesitantly.

Reborn expected Yuri to lash out, to scream in agony. However, he did not expect her to go,

"WOW! That's actually kinda cute!"

Yuri stood up in her cookie monster pyjamas, which consisted of a blue tank top with cookie monster's head and a cookie; she wore blue shorts that stopped mid-thigh. On her neck was a red and gold colour, it had a striking resemblance towards the Disciplinary Committee armband; on her head was a plastic black headband with fake, black dog ears on top; and connected to her shorts was a black tail.

Reborn's Dare was for Yuri to wear the dog ears and tail for the rest of the year, meaning that wherever she went, she had to bear the humiliation that came with the odd accessories.

Whilst Haru was complimenting Yuri's dog 'cosplay', Nikoru asked Reborn why he got that for her.

"I heard that Hibari demoted her from being a secretary to being a dog," he smirked.

"Hah! Who's the dog now?" Gokudera sniggered.

"You just admitted that you were a dog!" Yuri laughed hysterically as Gokudera mumbled curses under his breath.

"Uwa, it's a full moon!" Kyoko cried in awe as she looked out a window.

"Romantic, desu!" Haru nodded furiously.

Yuri blinked. A full moon, eh? It was already time. Yuri walked out of the room, telling the others that she was going for a walk; since it was a full moon, after all.

* * *

**Author's rants: **Full moon…? YURI'S A WEREWOLF? EHHH? LOL, maybe. ;)

_Published date: _16-07-10

_Edited date: _23-08-10, 05-10-10


	11. Enter: Basil, Squalo, Sailor Star

Chapter 11

_Enter: Basil, Superbi Squalo and…Sailor Star WTF?_

The sounds of metal colliding against each other reverberated throughout the streets of Namimori. It was currently night, and very late. The full moon glowed strongly in the middle of the dark, empty sky, watching as two figures lunged towards one another.

Battle cries and cries of pain were heard. Sparks flew as the metal objects were propelled against each other continuously. The two figures moved endlessly, one was pouncing at the other.

A man with waist-length, silver hair stood triumphantly on the roof of a building, gazing down at the boy with light brown/dirty blonde hair. He asked the boy why he was in Japan, but the boy with the blue flame on his forehead stubbornly resisted.

Far away, a pair of blue eyes watched the confrontation, entertained. The shade of her hair resembled to that of the boy's flame. A smirk crept onto her lips when the younger boy refused to obey the silver-haired man. Annoyed that he wasn't answeRing, the man lifted up his sword and prepared to swing it down. The girl's eyes widened.

Before the sword-wielder could land a hit on the boy, something jumped up and stood on the exact same place he stood a few seconds ago. The gigantic moon hovered behind her, acting as a spotlight. All they saw was the outline of the mysterious individual.

Now that she had their attention, Yuri walked forward. She was cosplaying as Sailor Mercury, though the blue was darker than actual Sailor Mercury's outfit. In addition to the cosplay, she still had the dog ears and tail on, as well as the collar. It was a dare, after all.

"VOOOOOOOOI, who are you?" the loud-mouthed man demanded.

Yuri winced and covered her ears. "KEEP THE VOLUME DOWN, DUMBASS!" she bit out fiercely. Squalo was about to retort but Yuri coughed and began speaking again. "I am…" her face scrunched up in concentration, "Sailor Star!" She cackled at their expressions. "And this is my loyal sidekick…Shooting Star!" Yuri added haughtily.

'Shooting Star' was simply Naru-chan with a yellow star stuck onto the orange cloth located on his wing. Shooting Star flew around Yuri's head in a circular pattern and landed on her shoulder.

Basil sweat-dropped and collided with the flat roof of the building.

Squalo looked as though he was about to throttle the girl. "WHAT? There's no such thing as Sailor Star!" he screamed and pointed his prosthetic arm/sword at the otaku.

Sailor Star flinched - as much as a bird could - and flew away, slightly jumpy.

Dismissing the fact that Squalo knew of Sailor Moon, Yuri countered, "Duh, because I'm a new Sailor Scout, no one knows of me!" She scoffed and rolled her eyes at Squalo. Her arms were folded in front of her chest as she laughed at the image of Superbi Squalo huddled up close to the TV while watching Sailor Moon defeat bad guys.

Squalo was steaming, but a sadistic smirk replaced his scowl as 'Sailor Star' grew afraid.

"Oh shit. I'm hungry." Yuri's eyes widened as her stomach growled slightly.

Squalo was contemplating whether the girl was more of an idiot than Lussuria, who fussed over clothes and other pointless things.

"It's like, what, 10 P.M. and I haven't eaten dinner yet." The girl's hand was brought up to her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, looking tired.

"Serves you right!" the boisterous man sneered and laughed. "Bad luck, girl!"

"Ahh, actually it's bad luck for _you_, dumbass. Whenever I'm hungry, I turn irritable meaning a hell lot of trouble for you. Haha, lucky you. You get to meet my Dark self."

The Varia rain Guardian scoffed. What could a ditsy girl like her do anything to a toughened assassin?

Annoy him til he went insane, that was what.

Squalo turned back to the confused Basil and smirked victoriously. While the boy was busy trying to work out who the weird girl was, the silver-haired Varia planned to defeat him once and for all while catching him by surprise. He didn't need to use such methods, but he might as well get it over and done with. All he needed was a bit of luck.

Which wasn't good seeing how he was near Namimori's most unlucky girl (courtesy of Fuuta's rankings), who affected everyone within a kilometre's radius with her unfortunate luck.

Yuri caught glimpse of the man's plotting smirk and ran as fast as she could without tripping over her feet. She knew she wouldn't reach Basil in time, so she headed for the attacker instead. Admittedly, it wasn't her best plan ever.

Superbi Squalo was caught off guard when extra weight pulled down on his left leg. Snapping his head downwards, he saw the girl clinging onto his leg, her large blue orbs staRing back at him. He did what he would usually when he panicked.

He began shouting, rather loudly too.

"LET GO, YOU STUPID GIRL! VOOOOOOOOOI!" He lifted his leg and started shaking it, looking like an idiot fool in the process. Seeing how it didn't make a difference, as the girl hugged tighter, Squalo began stomping his foot down.

Yuri managed to speak while she was being thrown about. "You look like a retard," she deadpanned.

While the two bickered on whether Squalo was a retard or not, Basil looked like he was going to slap himself, which he did. The boy named after an herb facepalmed, accompanied with a sweat-drop. But, who was the girl who showed up and saved him? Could she be related to the boy he was searching for? He decided to ask.

"Sailor…Star-dono." Basil grimaced at the name. 'Sailor Star' turned her head towards his direction, also ignoRing Squalo's heated protests. "I am searching for a boy, approximately your age. He may possibly possess a flame such as I?" Basil supplied while pointing to the blue flame on his forehead.

Yuri's eyebrows scrunched up together, tilting her head to the side slightly. She answered Basil's question with one of her own. "You're looking for a boy that's our age?"

Basil nodded in affirmation, a small smile gracing his lips. Maybe this girl could lead him to his mission's objective!

Yuri blinked, shock and understanding flashed across her facial features. "Oh, I didn't know you were gay." She grinned and laughed amiably.

Basil crashed down yet again. This girl certainly was strange. The dirty-blonde thought that she would inquire as to why he had a flame on his head, but she paid it no mind; that was a sign that she was used to it. Basil shook his head profusely, denying her assumptions furiously. But in response to the denial, the girl smirked and winked knowingly.

"Transvestite-kun," Yuri called, glancing up at the still-shouting man. Thankfully, he was too busy screaming his lungs out that he didn't notice Basil and Yuri's conversation.

"What is it, you brat?" Squalo barked, instantly looking down at the smirking girl.

"You just replied to 'Transvestite-kun', I shall now dub you that nickname henceforth." Yuri snickered.

The assassin was surprised to hear that the girl knew, and used, such lengthy words. However, he failed to pay attention to the new nickname.

"Anyway, you wanted to know why Herb-kun was here in Japan, right?"

Squalo grunted in affirmation.

There was a shout of 'Tis Basil!' Yuri shrugged. Basil was a herb, so meh. "Yeah, I know the reason why!" she chirped cheerfully.

Squalo didn't think the ridiculous girl who appeared out of nowhere could gain the knowledge the Varia failed to acquire. Squalo signaled for her to continue - he was only amusing her.

"Herb-kun," Yuri grinned and ignored Basil's cries, "is here in Japan because…" she took a deep breath and smirked as Basil panicked, "because he's looking for a guy; a foreign boyfriend. Yep, that's right, Basil is gay. And," Yuri continued, feeling a sadistic smirk flash across her lips.

Basil hung his head in resignation and disbelief. The girl was still going on? Basil wasn't gay, not at all. He knew he should have rephrased that sentence in a different, not-so-misleading manner. He inwardly berated himself.

Squalo's eye twitched. He knew the boy didn't seem right, especially with the way he talked. The kid also had a picture with him. Squalo saw a photograph in the kid's hands, but didn't see _who_ was in the picture.

Yuri dropped her voice into a dead whisper, "He came to Japan because he was stalking you. Basil has the hots for you, good thing you're a transvestite!" She laughed at Squalo's disturbed expression. The man went unnaturally stiff, Yuri figured that it was a good as time as any to take her leave.

Cackling madly, Yuri ran past Basil who was welling up in self pity, crawling up into a feeble position and mutteRing to himself. The aura around him was dark and depressing, which made Yuri crack up in a sadistic manner. Under the alias of Sailor Star, the half-girl, half-dog disappeared in the darkness.

_Mission: kill the mood of 'Squalo vs. Basil' battle - complete._

Changing back into her sleepwear, Yuri strolled over to the Sawada residence calmly. EnteRing the living room nonchalantly, Yuri observed that Nikoru, Haru, and Kyoko were gone, leaving Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Reborn asleep on futons - well, hammock for the Arcobaleno - spread across the floor so that they were parallel to each other.

Yuri walked over to the kitchen, using her hand to search the light switch and flicking it on. A bit sleepy, she made her way to the fridge groggily. She pulled out whatever was quick and edible from within the fridge and sat at the dinner table. Yuri chewed and swallowed whatever was in her hands, her eyes slowly drifted up to the person sitting across her.

There was a short pause while the two stared at each other. Finally, once Yuri had swallowed, she spoke up.

"Why are you up so late? And where are Haru and Kyoko?" Yuri drawled out monotonously.

Amber eyes blinked. Did Yuri really just question her as to why she was up so late? How hypocritical. Nikoru smiled at Yuri and walked towards the kitchen counter. She grabbed a half-full kettle and poured the steaming hot liquid into a mug and sat back down.

She began, "Well, Haru-chan and Kyoko-chan left early. Haru-chan because she goes to a different school and her house is closer, Kyoko-chan because her brother would be overanxious. Coffee?"

Yuri nodded and accepted the warm drink. Taking a sip, she grimaced disdainfully but at least her senses perked up a bit. Coffee was too bitter. She grabbed a few packets of sugar stored carefully in her pocket and tore the paper open viciously, watching as the white crystals fell into the murky drink.

Nikoru always wondered why Yuri got her energy from, but now she knew. The girl carried around packets of sugar - in her pyjamas, no less.

Saving that thought for later, the fangirl answered Yuri's former question. "I'm up so late because I was waiting for you to come back," she scolded Yuri slightly but chuckled at the expression she was receiving. Yuri was slack-jawed and her eyes were half-opened, looking on the verge of sleep. Nikoru's face contorted in confusion as she looked down to what Yuri was eating. "I thought you hated pineapple."

This statement made Yuri stop in mid-chew, she followed Nikoru's gaze. In her hand was a slice of pineapple. On the plate she took was full of random cut up pieces of pineapple. Yuri _hated_ pineapples, more of a reason to hate Mukuro too.

Nikoru forced Yuri to eat the half-eaten slice in her hand.

Yuri gulped audibly, which was worse: eating pineapple or facing Nikoru's wrath? Pineapples…were gross. Nikoru, when angered, was scarier than her (Yuri's) angered self. Sure, Yuri threw insults and harsh words, but she didn't physically harm them. Nikoru, on the other hand… Yuri felt a shiver crawl up her back and subconsciously rubbed her head where the ghost of a bruise once sat.

Pineapples… Angry Nikoru… Pineapples… Angry Nikoru…

Sighing in defeat, Yuri grimaced as she forced the evil little demon (not Hibird!) down. Why did someone decide to randomly slice pineapples?

Downing the bitter, now-cooling, drink in one gulp, Yuri got up and musted up her remaining energy to toss Gokudera out of his futon. She then took his previous spot and fell asleep instantaneously.

Nikoru chuckled slightly at her friend's antics. Being on better terms with Gokudera who managed to remain asleep, Nikoru grabbed a blanket and threw it over the bomber. She nodded in satisfaction. At least he wouldn't freeze to death…in spRing. Nikoru crawled over to her own futon and fell asleep after a few seconds.

The gang would need their sleep for the next day would surely take quite a bit out of the teenagers.

oOoOo

"Why do you have so many bentos?" Nikoru asked Yuri, making conversation while the guys spoke to Tsuna.

Yamamoto left early for a jog and went back to his place whilst Gokudera left quickly once he saw Bianchi in the middle of the night. Both boys left the so-called 'sleepover', leaving Yuri as the only guest actually _sleeping_ over.

"Hmm, a secret," Yuri said brightly. She had stored most of the food Nana had made this morning in five rectangular bentos. Since it was a half-day, Yuri didn't pack her bag with any utensils needed for school, not like that was an excuse anyway.

After school, Yamamoto invited everyone to hang out in Namimori. Who knew that such a simple outing could turn out so tiRing? Lambo somehow became separated from the gang not even five minutes after they arrived. He fell asleep in the pet shop's display, then he stole a bra and wore it as glasses; Yuri cracked up and took pictures for future blackmail.

The gang went to the arcade next. Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Fuuta were playing a shooting game. Fuuta was currently beating Gokudera.

"HA! Some Mafioso you are, losing to a kid!" Yuri snickered and glomped Fuuta. Nikoru swiftly whacked Yuri's head and pried her off the cute boy.

Haru and Kyoko were talking and laughing, while Tsuna was busy chasing I-pin and Lambo. Yuri played against Nikoru in DDR, aka Dance Dance Revolution. A friend back in their world was obsessed with this game; he was one of Yuri's close male friends. A wave of home sickness washed over her.

After visiting a music store and taking pictures, the gang went outside to have a rest. Yuri made sure that she and Nikoru were seated right next to Tsuna and Kyoko.

FingeRing the milk tea she bought from the vending machines, Nikoru asked Yuri what happened back in the arcade.

Yuri smiled. "It's nothing."

Nikoru frowned deeply as a disapproving yet worried gaze was cast over at her friend. "Yuri, that smile of yours is fake. Don't smile like that." The older girl spoke firmly but not harshly.

Yuri instantly dropped her smile, her eyes were dull and her face was stoic. Nikoru knew her too well, she secretly wondered if Nikoru had Hyper Intuition. At least Yuri could show her real emotions now. "You wanna know why I became depressed, right?" At Nikoru's nod, Yuri sighed. "DDR, that instantly reminded me of Sagasemasu."

Nikoru understood. Sagasemasu and Yuri were like brother and sister, they were quite close. He was always modest and did random, but entertaining, things.

"Then, at the music store I heard the part 'Don't call my name' from _Lady Gaga's _Alejandro _{A/N: That doesn't belong to me!}_ and it reminded me of him again. Always singing that chorus over and over again, he sang it so much that whenever people in our class hear it on the radio, they instantly think of him." Yuri laughed jovially, wiping away a few tears.

Nikoru chuckled and grinned hugely. She missed Yuri's laugh so much. Nowadays, Yuri only laughed when she was mocking or teasing someone. Nikoru had never heard her friend laugh so freely.

"When I thought of him, I began thinking of everyone else. I miss them so much. They're our 'Famiglia' after all. Right, Bossu?"

Yuri and Nikoru were that into Katekyo Hitman Reborn. They chose random people and named them after the anime characters. So far they had all the Guardians, and other individuals. Though, most of the chosen people didn't know it. Yuri was the Storm Guardian, it fit her so well.

The duo wandered into a silence, thinking of their friends. Yuri's mind began to drift away. "Are we ever going to get home? Or are we staying here forever?"

Nikoru pondered that. "Didn't you tell everyone that we were sent to a Japanese school?"

"Yeah. I felt so guilty lying to them."

Nikoru was about to voice comforting words to her Yuri, but an explosion sounded and reverberated throughout Namimori. Thick, black smoke ascended towards the sky from the building coincidentally right next to Tsuna's table.

Kyoko broke out of her stupor and screamed. She pointed towards something in the sky. Tsuna followed her gaze and screeched in shock as a flying body was falling in his direction.

Before the body could land on the brunette, Yuri shoved Tsuna away none too softly and caught the familiar figure. Yuri fell to the ground because of the impact, though it didn't create a crater like it would have done if Tsuna were still standing there.

"My apologies," Basil said regretfully as he faced the person who softened his blow. His eyes bulged slightly as Yuri stared at him back, smirking. The first thing Basil saw was her red and gold collar. He then noticed her dog ears. Basil repressed a shudder as he remembered her appearance last night. "Thou… Tis Sailor Star."

Yuri snickered and grinned like the Cheshire cat. "Herb-kun, I didn't know you could fly."

Tsuna was freaking out. Firstly, the boy who fell out of the sky just used 'thou' in the 21st century. Secondly, he called Yuri 'Sailor Star'; (Tsuna sweatdropped at the name) and the flying boy shuddered slightly when he saw her. The Tenth Vongola Boss inwardly sympathized with Basil. Yuri could make anyone shudder. And finally, Yuri seemed to know the mysterious boy too, she even called him 'Herb-kun'. Tsuna blanched. What a strange name.

The others soon appeared while Tsuna was mulling things over.

"This could be classified as sexual harassment," Yuri pointed out blankly as everyone took in their position. Basil was currently straddling Yuri, and while the girl looked calm, Basil flushed and hastily scrambled off of her.

Nikoru knelt down and placed a hand atop of Yuri's head. "That's the second time you've been in that position, right?" Nikoru grinned while Yuri gave a pointed stare at Yamamoto.

"VOI!"

Everyone's attention was diverted from the duo and was redirected towards the loud man. Squalo began swinging his sword, making gusts of air fly towards the gang. The wind caused clouds to form. Reborn took this chance to evacuate the girls and the children. When he told Yuri to leave, she refused vehemently.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not leaving. Reborn, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Besides, I need to be here just in case, and I can't to see Sharky again!" she cheered with a grin, her sky-blue eyes flashing.

"Reborn-san, I'll make sure this idiot won't cause too much damage." Nikoru's reassurance was far more comforting than Yuri's. Reborn nodded expressionlessly and took off.

Basil tried to escape with Tsuna, but Squalo jumped down and demanded to know who Tsuna was. When Basil didn't answer, Squalo ruthlessly struck him, sending the boy flying into a glass window.

Yuri winced. That would hurt, a lot. Before Squalo could frighten Tsuna any more, Yuri jumped in and pulled the same moves she used last night. Grinning, she watched as Squalo looked ready to explode. "We meet again, Transvestite-kun."

Tsuna watched in horror as the two conversed/screamed.

"I bet you're wondeRing who that girly-looking boy over there is," Yuri nodded in Tsuna's direction.

Squalo followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes.

Tsuna was mortified and frightened at the same time. Mortified because Yuri had called him girly without a second thought. And frightened because- well, anyone would be afraid if a guy wielding a sword popped out of nowhere who was practically reeking of blood lust.

"Well, I told you last night. That guy over there is Herb-kun's boyfriend. Don't be too jealous, Transvestite-kun."

Nikoru's ears perked up from her spot next to Tsuna. "Eh? Yaoi? Hmm…no one ever thought about SqualoXBasil before…" she trailed off, lost in her thoughts.

Tsuna flinched visibly. Since when did Nikoru get there?

Yuri snorted. "Horny fangirl."

"Only sometimes," Nikoru defended hastily.

"HA! You didn't even deny it!"

Nikoru valiantly resisted the urge to clobber her friend.

Squalo had enough. The girl, the very same girl from the previous night, clung onto his leg **again**. No one touched Superbi Squalo without getting their limbs cut off, _no one._

Yuri shivered involuntarily. Something felt wrong. She noticed Squalo had become uncharacteristically quiet. Swallowing the lump rising in her throat, Yuri lifted her head cautiously and stared at Squalo's blazing, gray eyes. She was screwed. She practically felt the blood lust emitting from all over his body. Shit, she was _soooo_ fucked.

Yuri didn't really care that Squalo was one of Varia's top assassins. She didn't care that he could inflict immense pain without regret. She only cared if she angered him. Yuri never liked getting on the wrong foot with people, even though it seemed like she always did. She hated it when people did things to her so malevolently. Sure, Squalo hurt people, but he only did that because it was his job, not out of spite.

Yuri instantly backed away from the scarily calm man, hoping that he wouldn't hurt her. She wanted to befriend everyone that played a major part in this world, which was basically the Vongola and their enemies, including Squalo.

Squalo noticed the shift of weight on his leg, the extra weight on his leg was gone. The girl was still within an arm's reach, so he stalked towards her, a crazed grin flashed on his features.

Yuri considered what her options were. She sucked at running, so that was marked off. She couldn't cling onto Squalo anymore for obvious reasons. And the only weapon she had had no ammo. Yuri made a mental note to pummel Mukuro later. So, she settled for the only option left; let Squalo cut her up from her seated position on the floor until someone saved her. How she loathed being the stereotypical damsel in distress. Yuri promised to find a tutor so she could train herself after the whole Squalo ordeal was over.

Squalo was still grinning as he raised his sword. He swung it down with all the power he could muster, thinking that the girl would run away. To his surprise, Yuri stared at him with firm, resolute eyes. This, however, did not falter his movements as the blade gained speed and hit its intended target.

Why was she so unlucky? Yuri gasped as the seaRing pain hit her. The blade tore through her school uniform and cut into her shoulder. She was thankful that her bone wasn't cut. It hurt so much, but she wouldn't give Squalo the satisfaction of seeing her whimper or cry in pain. She had cried enough tears of pain back in her childhood.

Squalo sneered and shouted insults at her. She wasn't worthy to be cut up by his sword. He slammed his foot atop of her hand which she used to hold her shoulder. The only reaction he received was a wince, the girl then glared at him. The glare was quite pathetic; it seemed more of an innocent gaze compared to Xanxus'.

He applied more pressure into his foot, not stopping until she screamed in agony. The girl only winced. Squalo was losing his patience, he raise his foot again, planning to slam it back down even harder. But he jumped away as multiple sticks of dynamite were thrown at him.

"VOOOI! Fight me, you brats!"

While Squalo leapt away from Yuri, Nikoru immediately dashed to her fallen friend and placed her atop of Blue: Maximized Version. They used the cloud of smoke as a cover up and made their exit.

"Yuri, I promised Reborn-san to take care of you, clinging onto the enemy's leg didn't help either," Nikoru chided the unconscious form of Yuri once she and Blue got away from battle-torn area. The yaoi fangirl held her palm out patiently by Blue's jaw.

The tiger was carrying the first aid-kit with his jaw. Nikoru found out that Blue could decrease or increase the size of the objects he touched; that was his power. The fully-grown Blue unhinged his jaw and allowed his owner to remove the box.

Nikoru tried her hardest to not breathe through her nose. She could spot the blood seeping out from Yuri's shoulder a mile away. Nikoru gagged slightly as she could practically taste the blood - the scent was too strong.

Thankfully, before she fainted again, one of Dino's subordinates placed a hand on her shoulder. Nikoru backed away so he could take Yuri.

The whole time while she watched Dino leave with Basil and Yuri to the hospital, Nikoru couldn't stop shaking. Once again, she was useless and everyone but her became injured.

oOoOo

Yuri was tired as hell. She opened her eyes and discovered that she wasn't in Yamamoto's room. She lifted her arms to rub her eyes but winced when a sharp pain travelled from her right shoulder and throughout her arm.

What happened? Oh, right. Yuri recollected images of Squalo arriving and cutting her shoulder, he even stepped on it. That long-haired bastard. Yuri moved her shoulder slightly and found out it was heavily bandaged and held in a sling. Shit, was it broken? A broken shoulder blade. Awesome.

What to do now… Yuri _really_ didn't want to stay in the hospital room and wait for someone to notice she was awake. Fortunately, someone must have heard her unvoiced wish as Tsuna walked in.

"Yuri-san! You're up! Thank goodness." Tsuna noticeably relaxed as his shoulders slumped down.

Yuri managed a small smile in reply.

Dino and Romario entered next. The Bucking Bronco remembered the previous and first meeting he had with Yuri. He would never admit it, but Dino was slightly anxious and guilty. He was anxious because they hadn't really got along quite smoothly. And guilty because he doubted her alliance with Tsuna. The Cavallone boss was wondeRing what Yuri was thinking of so intensely.

Yuri was wondeRing what nickname she should give Dino. Uma-kun? _{__**Translation: **__Horse-kun} _Since most people identify him as 'Bucking Bronco'. Ino-kun? Oji? _{__**T: **__prince}_ Hah, Belphegor would be out to claim that title. She settled for Uma-kun.

"Uma-kun." When Dino looked up at her, Yuri smirked. She loved it when people replied to anything if you looked at them. "My shoulder is broken, isn't it?"

Dino frowned, all nervousness was gone. He was acting like a true mafia boss. "Yes. It will take twelve weeks to heal."

The trio watched solemnly as Yuri tilted her head down, her fRinge shadowing her face. They suspected that she would be crying, after all, twelve weeks was a _loooong _time and Yuri wouldn't be able to do anything while it healed. The girl's shoulders started shaking and soft noises could be heard. Was she sobbing?

Tsuna walked up to Yuri and placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder, giving her a sense of comfort. To everyone's shock, Yuri began chucking softly.

The chuckles turned into laughter.

The laughter turned into loud cackles.

Soon, the trio watched in horror as Yuri laughed insanely as she clutched her stomach with the arm that wasn't in a sling.

"JUST YOU WAIT, SQUALO! Once I'm all better, I'll come after you!" After the insane laughter calmed down to soft snickers and ceased altogether, Yuri took a deep breath and hoped no one else was as injured as badly as she was. "Was Nikoru hurt?"

"No, she was the only one who remained uninjured," Dino replied, hiding his surprise at the instant mood swing with a cough.

"How about Herb-kun?" All three had confused faces. "Uh, Basil," Yuri clarified.

"He's currently unconscious. But rest assured; he'll be better soon. His injuries are far better than yours, though." Dino surprised yet pleased by Yuri's thoughtfulness of the boy she met recently.

"Wow, thank you for that enlightening comment." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"You're welcome," Dino replied seriously with a grin.

Yuri facepalmed. He was denser than Nikoru, if that was even possible. Why did people never understand sarcasm?

There were three soft knocks on the door. Romario opened it, allowing entrance to the petite amber-eyed girl. Nikoru nodded to the others in greeting and her smile fell as she took in Yuri's condition.

The patient flashed a grin and waited for Nikoru to grin back or scold her for her foolishness. To her surprise, Nikoru simply asked for the trio to leave so she could have a private moment with her friend. Dino obliged to her reasonable request and shooed the others out.

Tsuna ran home before Dino could remind him of the Vongola Rings, whereas the Bucking Bronco left the hospital calmly with Romario. Once Nikoru made sure that no one was lingeRing in the hallway, she closed the door firmly and made her way to Yuri.

Nikoru sat down on one of the plastic chairs beside Yuri's bed and propped her elbows atop of her knees. Her hands connected together, forming a bridge as she rested her hand on the interlocking of her small fingers.

"Yuri…" Nikoru muttered softly, a hint of worry was detected in her tone of voice. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized suddenly, shaking as she did so. Without waiting for Yuri to continue, Nikoru continued. "I let you get injured, a broken shoulder too! Twelve weeks is so long. Too long. Everyone else was somehow injured on involved, while I watched from the sidelines and wallowed up in self-pity." She inhaled an unsteady breath. "I'm useless," Nikoru breathed out and looked up at Yuri.

Yuri died a little inside. Her best friend, her best friend who helped others all the time without asking for help or rejecting their pleas, had just called herself useless. Yuri's gaze hardened but softened slightly at her friend's tear-filled eyes. Yuri swung her legs over the side of the white bed. "Nikoru, come up here," she demanded, leaving no room for protests.

Nikoru obeyed as she stood up and edged closer towards Yuri. A resounding smack cut through the heavy tension of the room. Yuri had just slapped Nikoru.

"Don't," Yuri ground out with gritted teeth. She locked her blazing eyes with Nikoru. "Don't _ever_ say you're useless. You're not useless at all. Why else would I keep you around?" Yuri's face fell. "That…didn't come out right."

Nikoru grinned. "Sure it didn't," she teased with a smile. Nikoru wiped away her tears and chuckled. Leave it to Yuri to cheer her up. But was her 'mistake' intentional?

"Hmph," Yuri sniffed. "Those bastards calling you useless all the time, if we were back in our world, then I would give them an earful."

"Earful doesn't mean shout at them until they go deaf."

Yuri adopted shifty eyes. "I know that."

The two began talking about miscellaneous things, when Reborn hopped onto the middle of Yuri's hospital bed.

"Ciaossu."

"Yo." Yuri smiled at the home tutor.

"Nice to see you again, Reborn-san," Nikoru was less casual and more polite than Yuri as she greeted the toddler.

"Yuri," The hitman's voice lost all playfulness and turned into a commanding one. "Give me your hand."

Yuri silently obeyed and held out her hand, palm facing up.

Reborn dropped something small into it.

Yuri cocked an eyebrow when she felt something cold, something metallic.

Reborn turned slightly in Nikoru's direction, he wordlessly gestured for her to do the same.

Nikoru didn't hesitate as she followed Reborn's order.

He repeated the same process. Once he was done, he swiftly jumped back to his previous position on Yuri's hospital bed.

Nikoru and Yuri exchanged wary yet befuddled glances.

"Uh, Reborn-san, what are these?" Nikoru questioned as she inspected the object.

"You guess," Reborn supplied mischievously as he smirked a little.

The girl had a Ring each in of their palms. They were the same as the Vongola Rings, the only difference were the symbols in the middle.

On Yuri's Ring was a crescent moon facing the left. The moon was dark gray. It was so dark that it could be mistaken for black. It was unlike the other Rings, the other Rings' symbols were a lighter gray.

Nikoru's Ring had a crescent moon symbol as well, except her moon was facing the opposite to Yuri's. Like the other Guardians' Rings, her symbol was a light gray.

"They're Vongola Rings. But…we've never seen them before," Yuri said as she slipped her Ring on. She gazed at in awe.

"That's right." Reborn spoke in a firm tone. "However, unlike Tsuna and the others, your Rings are complete, not Half-Rings.

"Nikoru, you have the White Moon Ring, while Yuri has the Dark Moon Ring. There are two separate Rings since the moon has two sides itself."

Yuri frowned. Reborn didn't explain anything so far, he just added more confusion.

"The white side is seen as 'heavenly' or 'beautiful'. Nikoru, you look at the finer things in life, the positive side." Reborn smiled slightly at the girl. Nikoru blushed slightly and avoided eye contact. "The dark side of the moon is known as 'evil' or 'corrupt'. Yuri, you witness and advise the negative side of things, the harsh reality.

"The White Moon Guardian protects and defends, whereas the Dark Moon Guardian destroys and creates calamity. You both are the first Moon Guardians in existence. Your duty is to stay hidden from the other Guardians, but help them secretly. You must hide your Rings from Tsuna and the rest. They will pose as meaningless trinkets, not priceless Vongola Rings."

"How can we hide it from sight when we must wear it at all times?" Nikoru inquired. She slipped her Ring on and smiled.

"Blue can help you with that," Reborn said with a smirk as he grabbed Blue out of nowhere.

"What? Your tiger can shrink and grow and do the same things with whatever it touches, what more can it do?" Yuri scowled and flopped back onto the bed.

Nikoru smirked smugly. Yuri was _so_ jealous, but she would never admit it.

"Blue can create a camouflage over the Rings, making them seem like regular jewellery," Reborn informed.

Blue leapt over towards Nikoru's ring hand. He swung his small tail over the Ring, as though wiping it. The change was instant. Nikoru's Ring was no longer a Vongola Ring, it now looked like a normal ring with a rose on top.

The skillful animal did the same for Yuri. She now had a lily replacing the Vongola shield.

Nikoru chuckled. "Blue is really talented."

Blue purred contently in response.

Yuri huffed and pouted.

"Reborn-san, how come there aren't any other Moon Guardians?" Nikoru asked patiently as she stroked Blue. "You said it yourself, 'you both are the first Moon Guardians in existence'."

"Ah," Reborn hummed in acknowledgment. "What I am about to tell you is for your ears only, no one else must know. Understand?"

The girls nodded. They both secretly knew Reborn had silently added an "or else".

The hitman inched his head down, satisfied. He began retelling the story he heard not long ago. "Rumours state that Vongola Primo was visited by a 'witch' who gave him the Moon Rings a few years after all his Guardians were chosen.

"The witch supposedly told him that there would only be two Moon Guardians in existence, and those two wouldn't be arriving for years to come. She informed him with vague details, Primo wisely decided to write all of it down.

"He hid the Rings, along with the note, in the most obvious place. What's better than to hide two rings along with other rings?" Reborn smirked as he finished his narrative.

There was a pause as Yuri and Nikoru digested the story.

"Hide rings with other rings?" Yuri repeated. "Meaning that he hid them in plain sight… You mean it was in the box along with the Vongola Rings the whole time?" she asked disbelievingly.

Reborn's smirk grew slightly as he nodded.

Nikoru was lost in thought. "Witch…?" she muttered quietly.

"Aka the dumbass that sent us to Takeshi's room," Yuri supplied. She was still angry at Majo for sending them to such an inconvenient place.

"Eh? Majo-san went to Primo's time? Wow, she must be really powerful," Nikoru praised with awe-filled eyes.

Yuri snorted. "More like she got help from someone else," she muttered darkly, but let the subject drop. "Now we know all there is to know about these Rings." She held her ring hand up, but winced slightly as a shot pain hit her. "Che, damn shoulder." A thought struck her. "Hey, Reborn…can you call Shamal here?"

A flash of understanding passed through Reborn's large eyes. He agreed and proceeded to call the womanizing doctor. Leon transformed into a green cell phone and blinked his orange eyes.

"Eh? Why do you want Shamal? Is it because of your shoulder? But I thought you hated perverts…" Nikoru babbled on, leaving no room for Yuri to answer.

"Okay, in order; so he can use the Trident Mosquito on my shoulder, yes, I do, but he is a good doctor." Yuri admitted bitterly.

The door was thrust open rather loudly with a bang. All heads snapped over to the new-comer and had mixed feelings as Shamal stood there. His bored demeanor soon lit up as he took in the current occupants of the room. Immediately, he ran over to Nikoru.

"NIKORU-CHAAAAAAAN!" Shamal squealed in a non-manly way and puckered up his lips.

Fortunately for Nikoru, Blue sprung into action and clawed Shamal's face quite viciously. Once there were three scratch marks across his face diagonally, the small tiger jumped back into Nikoru's lap (when did she sit down?) with his tail hung high.

Rubbing the shallow wounds, the perverted doctor turned to an amused Reborn. "So, why am I here?" he asked rudely, his expression turning back into a surly one.

"Right!" Yuri chirped brightly. She figured that she should be nice to the person who could potentially save her twelve important weeks of her life, even if he was a giant pervert. "Dr. Shamal, can you heal my shoulder? You are a doctor, after all." Yuri smiled, seemingly innocent, though on the inside, she was killing the lecherous man over and over again. How dare he make a move on _her_ Baka-Bossu.

The mosquito-using hitman turned abruptly serious. His eyes scanned over Yuri's injury. "A fractured shoulder, it seems," Shamal muttered his observation. "Well, I could heal it, but there will be some side-effects."

Yuri's lips thinned slightly. It depended on how serious the side-effects were. "What are they?"

"Whenever you become surprised, excited, or embarrassed, you will grow…cat ears and a tail."

The room went eerily quiet.

"HAH?" Yuri's normal behavior was back as she exclaimed rather loudly.

Shamal was unfazed as he continued his explanation. "After a few weeks, you will turn into a cat. The transformation will last a few days, after that you will be perfectly normal. Even when the twelve weeks are up, you will still have the capabilities of turning into a cat."

Yuri mulled this new piece of information over. Whenever she was excited, embarrassed, or surprised, she would grow cat ears and a tail. This would stay with her throughout the rest of her life. Turning into a cat could have useful purposes, like infiltrating Varia HQ and tearing up all of Squalo's clothes. Yuri smirked deviously.

"Turning into a cat? Awesome! Woot! Bring it on! It's just like Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew," the girl cried out excitedly.

Nikoru silently agreed. It was a lot like Tokyo Mew Mew. Almost as if some bored author suddenly decided to steal that idea. Whoa, where did that come from? The amber-eyed girl was lost in thought, the line between imagination and reality fading.

Once Shamal finished administrating the cure to Yuri, the part-cat girl returned the dog ears and tail to Reborn, saying that it would clash with her cat transformation. She kept the collar though.

She fished her bag which was placed under the hospital bed and turned to Nikoru. "Oi, let's go to Kokuyo!" she ordered gleefully.

Nikoru snapped out of her reverie. "Kokuyo? Why?"

"So we can make friends with her." Yuri's eyes softened and smiled slightly. "That's why I brought all these bentos."

Nikoru was still somewhat confused, but shrugged it off. She smiled and let Yuri lead the way. "Hey, why did you want to be rid of the broken shoulder so eagerly?"

Yuri's bubbly mood turned into a somewhat solemn and contemplative one. "You remember how I broke my ankle and it took eight weeks to heal?" she inquired as they continued walking.

"Yeah." Nikoru remembered very well. The first two weeks Yuri was absent from school left the class extremely quiet. Yuri was always the chatter box in class.

"Well, the first couple weeks that I broke it, people kept asking me what happened. I lost my patience after the first twenty people and told them that I fell off a building."

Nikoru chuckled. "Five people believed you."

Yuri gave an amused snort. "Anyway, all I saw in everyone's eyes was pity. I didn't want it. It wasn't like I was gonna die, so what was so sad about it? Each person winced or grimaced when I told them it was broken. They treated me as if I was paralyzed, like I couldn't do anything myself. While the thought was appreciated, I was fine. I don't want all that to happen again. One time was enough."

The corners of Nikoru's lips twitched upwards. She admired Yuri for her pride and independence. It was often that Yuri showed her profound self, this was an example.

"I also want to train so that I can kick Squalo's ass. Oh, and I would always need people's help to get changed. Living with guys isn't so great," Yuri murmured thoughtfully.

Nikoru sweat-dropped. She took back what she said about being profound. That comment Yuri made just then was incredibly shallow.

"Shamal…" Reborn began, tone disapproving but black eyes dancing with amusement. "You purposely left something out." He smirked as he watched the two girls laugh merrily from the hospital window.

Shamal grunted in acknowledgment. "It would be much more amusing if she experienced it herself. I'm sure you agree with me there. Don't you, Reborn?" The womanizer gazed at the toddler.

Reborn's smirk only grew in response.

oOoOo

Chrome Dokuro sat quietly in her corner, mulling things over. She glanced at the Half-Ring she received, awed at its beauty. She was no longer Nagi, Nagi was gone and Chrome Dokuro took her place. A minuscule sigh escaped her lips. It was so silent…and lonely. But she was used to the solitude, she would get over it.

Unfortunately, two people would be unhappy with her sadness.

Her ears twitched slightly as loud bangs could be heard within the building in which she occupied. Chrome cocked her head to the side as a muffled yelp resounded. Strange. Neither Ken nor Chikusa would be that clumsy.

Nonetheless, Chrome didn't let her guard down. Suffice to say, she was quite surprised when two girls walked in. Well, one girl was bunny-hopping. Chrome stared intensely at the girl who had cat ears and a tail.

Yuri perked up as she spotted the shy girl. Her black ears twitched slightly as her tail swung about. She was excited. Chrome was just too cute! Yuri almost burst with glee at the extreme level of cuteness. The cat-girl quickly ran over to the fascinated girl and tackled her with a hug.

"Wah, too cute!" Yuri squealed in delight.

Chrome blinked.

Yuri pulled back from the hug but didn't move away. She sat down in front of Chrome, her eyes glistening. "Well, you're probably wondering who we are! I'm Kuraihana Yuri, nice to meet you!" The bubbly girl smiled.

"I'm…Chrome Dokuro," Chrome introduced softly.

The two otakus didn't fail to notice her hesitation in giving away her name.

Nikoru strolled forward, a warm smile in place. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Shirobara Nikoru. Please excuse this girl's idiocy." Nikoru continued smiling as she jabbed a finger in Yuri's cheek, who grinned widely. "She likes cute things."

"I see." Chrome blinked. The cat-girl thought she was cute? The purple-eyed girl flushed slightly.

Yuri watched as Chrome blushed. "SO CUTE!" She hugged Chrome again, which caused her to redden even more. Nikoru dropped a fist onto Yuri's head. "Ahem, anyway," Yuri recomposed herself with a cough. "Mukuro informed me about you. I was wondering what he was busying himself with the past few days. So, here we are!"

"Mukuro-sama did?" Chrome murmured softly, eyes widening marginally is surprise.

Yuri nodded. The guilt was eating at her on the inside. Lying to such a cute, innocent and, not to mention, cute person like Chrome was shameful. Did she mention that Chrome was cute? "Yep! I can't believe he made you cut your hair into this- this pineapple hairstyle." Yuri's lip curled up in disgust. Mukuro had no taste.

"Eh? Oh…I don't mind it," Chrome whispered softly.

Yuri gazed at the cute girl. Caught up in the moment, Yuri pinched the other girl's cheeks, while muttering 'so cute' over and over again. "Hey~ Chrome, do you like cats?"

"Yes. I like cats…very much," she admitted with a tiny blush.

Yuri hummed thoughtfully. Chrome was shy and paused a lot. She was improving, but slowly. Oh well, once they became closer, hopefully she would lose her hesitation. "You see my ears and tail? Well, they're real! Go on, touch them!"

Chrome bit her lip nervously. She slowly reached out her hand, after a short pause, she chanced a quick tap on one of Yuri's ears and pulled back hastily. It was warm.

Yuri smiled, a victorious glint in her eyes. Chrome's shyness was slowly fading.

"Yuri." Nikoru was standing a little away from the other two. "Sawada-san asked me to go on an errand. Apparently, someone ate her pineapples as a midnight snack." A hint of smugness was barely detectable in Nikoru's tone. Yuri scowled. "We have to go buy some more."

"Eh? But I wanna stay with Chrome…" Yuri whined childishly. "And I hate pineapples," she added, as if it would help her win the argument.

Chrome inwardly agreed. She didn't like pineapples either. "I don't want you to get into trouble. So you should go." A small smile crept on the female illusionist's lips.

Yuri sighed in defeat. "Alright. But first," she grabbed three bentos from her bag and placed them in front of Chrome. "You look as if you haven't eaten a decent meal in a while. Give the other two to the idiots."

Seeing Chrome's befuddled face, Nikoru clarified. "She means Ken and Chikusa," she supplied kindly.

Understanding dawned in Chrome's purple orbs and she nodded fractionally.

"I promise to visit you again, Chrome. After all, we're friends now. You'll never be alone again." Yuri grinned and left with Nikoru.

Chrome watched as the sapphire-haired girl left after her friend. A smile donned her lips. She had friends. It was thanks to Mukuro-sama…and her mysterious new boss. Her Vongola Half-Ring beamed as one of the few rays of sunlight managed to shine through the broken windows.

Maybe, just maybe, her second chance at life would prove worthwhile.

* * *

**Author's rants: **Damn, Chrome is too KYOOOOOOT! Reviews? :3

_Published date: _23-07-10 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Basil! :D

_Edited date: 10-10-10 (OMFG!) _HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Naruto and Xanxus~! ;D


	12. Enter: Sawada Iemitsu, Varia

**Author's rants: **Uh, people may be groaning or complaining about the Moon Guardian stuff. *cough Vi cough*

But, I had a good reason. It was because… *inhales deeply, looks around, runs away* It's a secret. LOL, yeah… -shifty eyes- I actually have a reason, that I made up on the spot. :D

* * *

Chapter 12

_Enter: Tutors, Sawada Iemitsu, Irie Shoichi, Varia_

Kuraihana Yuri felt like her legs were going to fall off.

The blue-eyed girl panted vehemently as sweat trickled down her brow at a rushed pace. She was going to die before she could face off with the Varia. Yuri glanced over her shoulder where her 'tutor' sat, staring at her intensely. Yuri didn't know whether she should have gone with Lal Milch or Fong. Unfortunately, Reborn said that she was vest suited with the calm Arcobaleno.

The duo was currently in some kind of grassland. The ground was rather flat. All around them was grass, grass, and look, more grass! There was hardly anything else, save for a few trees here and there.

After saying goodbye to Chrome and relinquishing the pineapples to Nana, Reborn informed the two girls that they would have tutors training them. He administered Lal to Nikoru.

Yuri wanted Lal, simply because she admired the 'corrupt' Arcobaleno. Lal was the only tomboy (excluding Bianchi) that actually did something in the series. Although, she was injured quite seriously after that fight with Ginger Bread in the Future arc. After that, she was left completely useless and couldn't lift a finger. How infuriating.

Yuri also wanted Lal because Fong was too cliché. In the fanfics she read with which included an OC as one of the Guardians, Fong was always bestowed upon them. The second reason was quite shallow.

Knowing that Fong wouldn't care about his pupil's complaints, Yuri simply followed his orders. He made her run around for ten minutes as a warm up and then started teaching her taekwondo.

Yuri only knew of the basics. It focused on kicking, no hands were allowed. This vaguely reminded her of Sanji from One Piece. She felt that Fong most likely wanted Yuri to use taekwondo as a form of relaxation and meditation.

Her assumptions were proved to be correct.

In order to keep Yuri from giving up, the Storm Arcobaleno promised to reward his pupil with whatever she wanted once she finished her training. Yuri brightened up immediately after that. Her main desire was to pinch Fong's cheeks or take a picture, or something!

The good thing was, was that Yuri didn't have to worry about spilling any of her foreknowledge in front of Fong. By the end of each training session, she was too tired to move.

Fong exhaled and signaled for Yuri to continue.

OoOoO

Shirobara Nikoru was beaming.

She finally got to run again. What a refreshing feeling. Wow, she just sounded incredibly out of character. But, she couldn't help it. She didn't have a good workout in _ages_ since school was incredibly long and they didn't get a day off except Sundays. Nikoru sighed and continued her jog around Namimori.

Her current tutor, the famous Lal Milch, had instructed her to run fifteen laps around Namimori. And Namimori was _big_. She was currently on her third lap and her breaths already became laboured. Damn, she was getting lazy. It was either run fifteen laps, or run until she vomited, according to her crazy tutor.

Lal made herself comfortable as her newly-assigned student was running around Namimori. The former COMSUBIN member was presently sitting atop of Nikoru's head. It was no effort to stay without falling as Nikoru continued jogging. Lal was a bit annoyed at Reborn when he suddenly called her out to Japan to tutor this girl. Admittedly, the current CEDEF member was surprised that the girl could run a few laps around the huge town before tiring.

Though, she still had a long way to go.

Nikoru came to a halt. She placed her hands on her thighs and panted heavily. Her face was red from the run, for a good reason too. Nikoru was in the middle of her fifth lap when her stomach stirred uneasily. Once she skidded to a halt, she caught her breath and clutched her abdomen, wincing a bit.

Lal panicked. She wasn't entirely serious when she ordered the girl to run until she puked. Reborn would be furious if the girl he left in her care returned ill. Lal shuddered vaguely.

This was going to be an exhausting week.

oOoOo

Yuri sat down and breathed in deeply, taking in the area around her. Her sensei left a few minutes ago, saying that they had finished for the day. Yuri had no complaints, it was already near sunset. She was completely drained. She wasn't even sure if she could move from her position.

Yuri flopped onto her back, lying on a bed of fresh grass. She sighed aloud and raised her hand to block the sun's glare, her Ring shining in the process. Once there was no one else within the hundred meter radius, the Dark Moon Ring automatically dropped its disguise of being an ordinary trinket, and resumed its original appearance.

She dropped her arm back to her side unceremoniously and closed her eyes, taking a well-deserved nap. Unfortunately, a large figure blocked the sun's rays which provided Yuri with warmth. Groaning, Yuri cracked an eye open at the person standing before her.

Oh, it was just Chrome. What?

"CHROME?" Yuri cried out in what appeared to be a mix of happiness and shock.

Chrome flinched visibly and retreated half a step.

Yuri frowned. "Sorry, I forget how loud I am," she apologized abashedly. Jeez, Chrome was already making her go soft. The otaku sported a grin. "So, why are you here?"

"Eh?" Chrome was caught off-guard for a moment, her ears ringing slightly. "Ah. Mukuro-sama informed me of your whereabouts when I asked where you were."

"Wah, I'm so sorry!" Energy quickly regained, Yuri stood up and bowed her head. "I forgot to visit you today!"

"… It's fine." Chrome blinked innocently, somewhat surprised at Yuri's profuse apologies.

Yuri broke into a grin once more. "Really? Yay! Chrome is so nice~" she sang and hugged the flushed girl. "Hmm, I'm glad you're here, or else I wouldn't know how to make my way back. Though, my energy is dissipating again." True to her words, Yuri's eyelids began to droop. A giant yawn escaped her lips.

"Kufufu, that's not good," a familiar voice chuckled.

Yuri stiffened. Just hearing his voice irked the girl. Though, before Yuri could step back, Mukuro shifted his arms so he was now carrying her bridal style.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?" she shouted, outraged. Her face was red from screaming.

"You said it yourself, you have no energy left. Let alone the strength to walk all the way back." Mukuro's playful smile was still intact.

Yuri grumbled a few muted swears and grudgingly nodded. Mukuro…was right. She would never let him here that though. "Fine." She donned a glare. "But I'd rather you piggy-back me. It's better than this."

After getting all the problems out of the way, Yuri began starting a conversation. The silence had been eating at what was left of her small patience.

"Oi, Mukuro. I'm still pissed about you giving me a gun with no ammo. But…I guess you taking me back could be considered as compensation," Yuri grumbled regrettably. "Besides, you did sacrifice yourself for Ken and Chikusa. I'm proud of you," she said with pride, pinching his cheeks in the process.

A miniscule sigh escaped Mukuro's lips. It was disadvantageous for him since that girl knew everything about this world.

"Ah, I told Nikoru that you weren't evil," Yuri adopted a fond smile as she reminisced about the past. Her smiled fell when she remembered how that was the same day Majo made her appearance.

Mukuro raised a slender eyebrow. The girl had defended him? Quite unusual.

"Thank you for saving Chrome and for giving her a second chance at life," she told him sincerely. "You even joined the mafia to ensure Baka-Ken and Bakodo-chan's safety…" Yuri chuckled softly. She didn't realize how much she missed bickering with Ken and trying to push emotions out of Chikusa.

The male illusionist's smile broadened marginally. He once took a stroll through memory lane, more accurately, Yuri's memory lane and witnessed how much she enjoyed her short time as a hostage.

Though, as he travelled deeper into Yuri's memories, he found a door that was chained up. There was nothing but air behind the door, but he figured that anything went in Yuri's world, considering how strange she was.

The door was dark and foreboding; it seemed to emit a dangerous aura, as if warning people to stay away from it. Mukuro found that intriguing, but strange. He figured it was best to abandon all thoughts about the door. Mukutro did not wish to witness Yuri's wrath when it was directed at him.

Whatever she was hiding must have been something that she hoped to keep locked up forever, hence the chains. Mukuro frowned, blocking out memories wasn't healthy. Withdrawn memories would turn into psychological disorders.

Wait, why should he care about this annoying girl (who ended up falling asleep)? Why was he thinking of her this whole time? Mukuro silently cursed himself. He only cared about her because she befriended Chrome and cared for her. Yes, that was why. Mukuro's nerves relaxed and listened to Yuri's continuous snores.

For a cunning sadist, Rokudo Mukuro was quite dense.

oOoOo

Nikoru sighed contently. She discovered that her stomach pains were because she was hungry. Weird, something stupid like that would normally happen to Yuri. Though it sort of made sense that she would have a stomach ache. After all, she ran such a long distance without eating anything beforehand.

Lal grudgingly decided to stop training there. It was _her _fault that her pupil's stomach faltered. The Arcobaleno made a mental note to make Nikoru eat before training.

Nikoru requested for seconds. Sawada Nana happily agreed, saying that Nikoru wasn't eating as much as a growing girl needed to. Nikoru just smiled, she would prefer to walk rather than be rolled to school.

Iemitsu boisterously made his way to the dinner table. He dug into his meal, discretely eying the oblivious Nikoru. Something glistening caught his eye. Chocolate brown orbs widening, Iemitsu took a closer look and found out that it was only a normal ring. He resumed eating and relaxed, knowing that the girl didn't obtain a Vongola Ring.

If he paid rapt enough attention, Iemitsu would have noticed the ring flicker and show a small crescent moon, before turning back to a rose.

OoOoO

Yuri hummed a nameless tune as she strolled throughout Namimori. Once she woke up from her nap, the girl found herself in Kokuyo Land. Honestly, she had been there so many times, she knew it like the back of her hand. Chrome was startled when Yuri awoke abruptly. Apparently, the half-Mist Guardian was watching Yuri sleep. How cute.

After visiting Chrome and talking about miscellaneous things, Yuri instantly turned cheerful. Seeing Chrome always put her in a good mood. The girl was too cute.

Her bubbly mood made her cat ears and tail pop up. With the addition of the bell on her red and gold collar (Yuri asked Chrome to use her illusions to create the bell), the blue-eyed girl was mistaken for a random cosplaying girl. Ah, how naïve this town was. Considering the weirdos that kept popping up, Yuri was glad this town was so thick-headed, otherwise suspicions would grow.

Yuri was so caught up in thinking degrading thoughts about the town that she didn't realize she had wandered off the main road. She was now in one of the poorer and more abandoned streets of Namimori. The place was deserted, excluding the rugged man sitting on the bare ground. Other than that, there were no other signs of life.

Tall, dull buildings stood, all doors were either closed firmly or boarded up completely. Who knew there was such a place in the so-called wondrous Namimori? Yuri made a mental note to inform Hibari of the deserted area, considering she was his…dog. Also, this area seemed to be perfect for gangs, hence the tight security.

Yuri shuddered visibly. She hoped no innocent civilian would wander here by accident and become seriously injured.

Grunts and cries were heard somewhere not too far from where the girl stood. Eyes narrowing, Yuri ran towards the source of the noise. Suffice to say, the sight she was greeted with surprised, and infuriated her.

Between two towering buildings, in a dark alley way, were two buff men and a small boy.

One of the men was holding up the boy by the scruff of his neck and held him against a cement wall. The other man, presumably the first man's friend, was leaning close to the boy, a disgruntled expression plastering his pug-like face.

The small boy had flaming red hair and striking green eyes, though his orbs were hidden by a blanket of unshed tears. One of the lenses on his glasses was cracked. The glasses weren't the only thing damaged. There was a cut on one of his cheeks, and a bruise under his left eye. He also had a split lip.

Yuri scowled, eyes ablaze with rage. How could they bully such a cute, small boy? Especially Irie Shoichi of all people! The one that would backstab Byakuran to help Tsuna later in the future!

Kuraihana Yuri hated bullies.

Both men turned to her when they heard footsteps. They saw a scowling blue-haired girl wearing a blue sailor uniform. The two inwardly scoffed, the girl was no threat; in fact, they were going to have some fun with her.

"Hey, cutie," one man greeted Yuri, causing her to sneer at him. Oblivious to her disgust, the man continued. "Wanna join us? I'm sure we- oomph!" He grunted as the air was knocked out of him.

Before the disgusting sleaze bag could continue, Yuri dashed over and punched him in the stomach. The man doubled over and kneeled in pain, glaring at the girl. Yuri didn't stop there; she then proceeded to lift her leg up and bring it down with all her strength, using her heel to slam against his head.

The man collapsed, unconscious.

There was a feral smirk playing on her lips. Her blood-thirsty eyes shifted to the victim's partner. The man flinched in response, but tried to keep a brave façade. Yuri smirked at the disgusting man's fear.

Fear taking over him, the second man was left utterly defenseless. Yuri easily defeated him. He didn't even have the courage to fight back. She elbowed his throat with slight pressure, collapsing his trachea, causing him to stop and gasp for breaths. She then dealt a kick to his crotch. The final blow was a punch to the head.

The man winced in pain and fell down onto his knees. He, too, fell unconscious.

A victorious glint flashed through her sky-blue eyes. The maniacal gleam in her eyes, however, subsided instantaneously when she turned to Irie. Mood turning solemn, Yuri was immediately filled with guilt as Irie quivered in fear.

A frown tugged at her lips. She inched towards the frightened boy. Yuri was sure that if he wasn't petrified with fear, then the boy would have fled quickly.

oOoOo

Irie Shoichi was never as afraid in any period of his life as he was now.

He was returning home from cram school when a boy clad only in boxers ran past him and knocked him away. Irie was sent flying and crash landed in the run-down area of Namimori. The underpants-guy was pretty fast and strong to knock him so far.

Irie sat up and rubbed the back of his head where a bruise was sure to form. He got up and gazed at the poorly kept environment. He was walking around, hoping to find a way out or someone to help him.

The poor naïve boy eventually ran into two frightening-looking men. Literally. He was busy trying to find an exit that he didn't see the strong-looking men standing in front of him. By the time he realized the mistake of bumping into them, it was too late. Both men wanted to 'pay him back', so Irie wisely decided to run.

Unfortunately, he ran directly into an alley way. He cursed his misfortune. The men cornered him like a predator would before lunging at their prey. He felt the cold, hard wall of bricks behind him, his brow dripped with sweat.

One man began shouting at him, saying that he wouldn't get out of the place unharmed. Irie was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and slammed against the brick wall. A strangled cry escaped his lips as the pain hit him.

Grimacing at the noise, the man slammed him into the wall once more, this time he added extra force.

Irie bit his lip to keep the scream from escaping. Apparently, he gnawed too hard as his lips split. A drop of blood dripped from his forward and slid past his cheek, down to his chin. The red-head gasped silently as he witnessed the man bringing back his fist, preparing for a punch. Reflexively, Irie lifted his head up an inch, just as the hit connected. If he hadn't moved, then the fist would have hit his eye.

He barely registered the fact that his eyes were watering up and one of his lenses was cracked. The beating took quite a toll on his scrawny body, a sea of unconsciousness crashed onto him. The only thing that kept him aware of his situation was witnessing a blue flash run past him, knocking away the offender that pinned him to a wall.

As he slid down onto the ground, his frazzled nerves relaxed; he was out of danger. For now. Hopefully, his savior wasn't out to get him or some sort of payment for saving him. He peered up curiously when he heard grunts of defeat. Irie eyes widened noticeably.

He watched in horror as the savior was a petite, blue-haired girl. Not that Irie thought girls were weaker than guys, he learnt that severe lesson from his fearsome older sister. Irie suppressed a shudder. The inhumanly strong young girl took down both men easily.

Irie never noticed how badly he was shaking. The girl turned to him, a homicidal look on her face. His green orbs bulged as he took in the blood lust emitting from the girl his age. She inched forward, though her face had turned regretful, and much more tamed.

Yuri wanted slap herself so badly. She inhaled a few calming breaths and squat down apprehensively in front of Irie.

"I'm…sorry," she apologized earnestly. "You shouldn't have seen that. I can't stand bullies, especially when they're bullying someone younger than them."

Irie gulped and nodded hesitantly. At least the girl didn't ask for anything in return…yet.

"So, are you alright to walk, or should I carry you?" she inquired brightly, as if her apology solved everything. Though, being the thoughtless girl Yuri was, everything probably was forgiven and forgotten.

"E-Eh?" He reddened slightly at the image of being piggy-backed. It seemed so…intimate. "I'm okay to walk."

Yuri hummed, not quite believing Irie's quiet murmurs of reassurance. She took notice of his wounds. His head was bleeding a bit, but not so much to be considered fatal. Well, better to be safe than sorry.

"Alright, but I'm taking you home. Just in case." She grinned. Even though guys were meant to walk the girls home, but who cared. In some ways, Yuri's personality was quite wilder than the gentle Irie's. "Oh, but we should see a doctor first. Then we're going to the optometrist!"

Irie inwardly wondered if this girl was alright in the head. He made no movement to object, he was sure that the girl would drag him along even with his protests.

"Ah! But we need to call the police and let them know of those _bastards_," she spat the last words in disgust, her obvious distaste showing.

The blue-eyed teenager informed the police of the offenders' whereabouts. She also proceeded to notify them of the men's appearance. On their left forearms, each of the men had a strange tattoo imprinted permanently.

Shrugging, Yuri shut her phone and placed it away. Turning back to a now standing Irie, the girl grinned brightly. "Yosh! Megane-chan, let's go!"

By the time the duo was done with their little outing, it was already 7:30pm. True to her word, Yuri did walk Irie home, much to the latter's embarrassment. Admittedly, this day was Irie Shoichi's most frightening and thrilling day in his life. Frightening because he was attacked quite brutally. Thrilling because he managed to befriend his savior who was very friendly, albeit her short-temper and uniqueness.

Irie explained to his mother and sister exactly how he received his wounds. The story went that someone accidentally knocked him over - it wasn't a complete lie. In an effort to try and change the subject, he hastily mentioned he made a new friend. His mother then fantasized excitedly about his 'future bride'. His face was as red as his hair by the end of the conversation.

He learnt that her name was Kuraihana Yuri. She was thirteen, turning fourteen in June; she went to Namimori Middle and worked for the Disciplinary Committee (Irie realized that this was probably where she got her fighting skills from); she had little patience and a short-temper; she moved to Japan recently with her best friend; she attracted weirdos; and many more things.

Throughout their trip, Yuri didn't ask any questions about him. Irie found that strange, but didn't dwell on it. He smiled when he remembered the girl huffing and pouting like a small child when he told her that he wasn't getting new glasses, only new lens. 'But you should get the ones with black frames, they look better!' were her exact words.

Yuri ensured him that they would meet again, very soon. The way she said it was so- so firm, she believed with every fibre in her body that they would meet again. Maybe they would. Strange things always happened to her, from what Irie had learnt.

She wanted so badly to go buy Irie new clothes, but after a few insistent protests, Yuri backed down. The mischievous glint she obtained in her blue orbs scared the boy. He could imagine the horrors of a girl like Yuri dragging him around Namimori, shopping. He visibly shuddered.

Though, Irie could have sworn he heard Yuri mutter something like: 'Your time will come, Irie Shoichi. When your birthday arrives, you will personally witness my terror. Fufufu.' The glasses-wearing boy flinched as she cackled forebodingly.

Suffice to say, Irie Shoichi was quite ecstatic to make such an exuberant friend, no matter how strange she was. He knew that he would never regret befriending her.

But by befriending Namimori's number one unluckiest girl, the poor boy would never know what hit him.

oOoOo

The next few days continued like the first. Tsuna and company trained for the upcoming battle, taking breaks here and there. There were no signs of the assassination squadron visiting Japan just yet.

When not training, Tsuna's life was pretty mundane. Lambo was kidnapped, though the perpetrator was Haru and everything was a huge misunderstanding; Giannini visited and ruined everyone's weapons; Tsuna's childhood dream was revealed; Gokudera was shrunken; and Verde sent two assassins that could only be seen by children, after Tsuna. All in all, their week was quite ordinary.

Until now, that is.

Nikoru peered towards the sunset. The sky was lit with warm colours as the day was slowly coming to an end.

After training with Lal for about a week, Nikoru was as fit as ever and could run a marathon without any trouble. Her strength also increased, but she only chose to use it when defending herself or others.

She never liked spilling blood - hence her sensitivity to the smell - so she would rather not fight unless necessary. She was the White Moon Guardian after all. She only defended, while her friend fought. Besides, the two Moon Guardians wouldn't even be allowed to lay a hand on the enemy during the battle, since they had to stay hidden.

Yuri probably thought it was troublesome, Nikoru mused. She shot a glance at said girl who was walking beside her. Nikoru's amber orbs travelled to her friend's cat ears and tail. The smooth, black ear twitched now and then towards different sounds. The long tail swished and flicked in various directions. Those actions were proof of the Yuri's obvious happy mood. Nikoru smiled, entertained.

Yuri walked with a bounce in her step and a genuine smile on her lips. The girl, cosplaying as Yuki from _Vampire Knight_, was quite bubbly. She and Nikoru met up coincidentally on the way to Kokuyo Land. Great minds thought alike, right? Well, in their case, it was probably the opposite of 'great'.

Anyway, the two girls met up with Chrome and chatted about assorted things. Nikoru introduced Blue to Chrome. The former purred happily while the latter pet it contently.

Nikoru and Yuri also ran into Ken and Chikusa. Yuri informed them of their new nicknames gleefully.

Ken and Yuri instantly began arguing about whether the nickname was stupid or not. Grudgingly, Ken settled for 'Yankee-kun', seeing how it was an improvement from 'Baka-Ken'. Chikusa remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. Nikoru smiled and gazed at Chikusa with an understanding look; they both knew how tiring it was to be around idiots.

"Ah," Yuri started, looking at the sky once more. "This is when they arrive, isn't it?" Her tail ceased moving and remained immobile.

"They? As in the Varia?" Nikoru replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, shit! Fuuta and I-pin are in danger!" Yuri panicked and began running. She purposely left out the cow-boy.

Nikoru was half a step behind her companion. "Lambo is in danger too," she added. Yuri chose to ignore that. "Do you even know where we're going?" Nikoru questioned after some thought.

"Uh, yeah," the bookworm replied hesitantly. "My cat ears can pick up any sound if I concentrate hard enough." Yuri cleared all thoughts, listening intently. Her ears twitched. "There!" She jabbed her finger in a random direction. "I heard Fuuta scream," she said with a worried frown.

When the duo finally reached their destination, they found that all the enemies were taken down. Yamamoto, Gokudera and Ryohei took out an enemy each and saved the little kids.

The relaxed atmosphere soon came to an abrupt halt as Leviathan entered the scene. He noted that his underlings were unconscious and was about to strike the gang, when the rest of the Varia assassination squadron arrived.

"VOI! How dare you trick me, you trash," Squalo sneered at the group of teenagers and children. Everyone immediately tensed.

"Oh, hey… It's Sharky," a voice quipped, deadpan.

Everyone except Yuri.

Squalo chose to act like the better person and ignored Yuri. He laughed mockingly when he found out who was the other Rain Guardian. Before anything could break out, however, Xanxus placed a hand on Squalo's shoulder and signaled for him to retreat.

Yuri edged closer to Nikoru and whispered into her ear. "Hey, look, it's a XanxusXSqualo moment." She snickered as Nikoru's head shot up.

A strange gleam flashed in Nikoru's eyes.

Yuri shuddered. Yaoi fangirls were scary at times.

Xanxus was about to do something and wipe everyone out, even his own subordinates were afraid of what would happen next. Thankfully, Iemitsu stopped the Varia Boss from proceeding by embedding his weapon, a pick axe, before him.

Yuri sighed, not even bothering to hide her boredom. She plopped down on the road and groaned. It was so boring!

Reborn explained how Iemitsu was the External Adviser and what his job was.

Yuri brightened. "Hey, Tsuna." The aforementioned boy looked over in her direction. "When you become Vongola Tenth, make me your External Adviser, yeah?" she asked with a broad grin.

"VOI! That scrawny brat won't become Vongola's successor!" Squalo protested vehemently.

Yuri jumped to her feet. A vein popped up as she shook a clenched fist at the sword-wielder. "HAH? How would you know, you transvestite? Can you see the future? I don't think so!" She knew that her reasoning was childish, but she didn't care. To irk the man even more, she stuck her tongue out.

Squalo faltered and spluttered as he tried to find a comeback. "It's not like _you_ can see the future either!"

"Hello, I'm awesome. Duh." She spoke to the assassin as though he were a child. "Jeez, your comeback was so childish, Sharky," Yuri leered. It was so fun messing with Squalo, it was even better than messing with Gokudera.

Xanxus glared at his Rain Guardian, a silent signal telling him to shut his mouth. Once the loud man snapped his trap, the Varia Boss directed his glare towards the loud-mouthed girl. Instead of whimpering in fear like her allies would have, the girl merely smiled. Xanxus scowled deeply. Why was the girl smiling so earnestly? Seeing how the glare had no affect on her, Xanxus moved his attention back to Iemitsu.

Yuri's smirk grew when she saw Squalo shut his mouth after a glare from his Boss. Her cat ears picked up snickering coming from Belphegor's direction. She took this time to survey the others' expressions.

Yuri noted that Tsuna looked a little freaked out, mainly because she was talking to a bloodthirsty assassin like she would to anyone.

Gokudera was annoyed, possibly because his beloved boss was distraught.

Yamamoto had his serious face on.

Ryohei was fierce…as usual.

Nikoru's shoulders tensed at the atmosphere, Yuri frowned at that.

The little kids looked panicked-stricken.

Basil and Iemitsu went about in a business-like manner.

Yuri felt someone staring intensely and traced it back to Xanxus. Oh, Yuri mused, Xanxus was glaring at her; not staring. Well, it made no difference. The cat-girl smiled a genuine smile, which received herself an even more heated glare. Yuri watched bemusedly as Xanxus turned back to Iemitsu, annoyed.

Soon after that, Iemitsu summarized and translated for all the non-Italian speakers what Ninth's letter read. Tsuna began panicking immediately. He didn't want his friends involved in the mafia.

Yuri sighed. Tsuna was never going to learn. Idiot.

Two members of the Cervello Organization arrived. Yuri wondered whether they were secretly acrobats with the way they jumped out from the trees and landed perfectly. Wait, how long were they waiting in the tree for? Were they waiting for the perfect opportunity? Strange.

"Wow, what awesome outfits," she said in awe, eying their attire. "I wonder if that's their natural hair colour."

Nikoru must have heard her mumbles, because Yuri soon received a small punch to the head.

Yuri smirked as she rubbed a bump forming on her head. Things were about to get exciting, eh, sort of.

* * *

_Published date: _02-08-10

_Edited date: _14-09-10, 11-10-10


	13. Enter: Normalness

Btw, my friend aka 'Nikoru', made an account on formspring titled 'NikoruXBlue', which is really disturbing for me since it's like it's saying Nikoru and Blue are a couple. -shudders-

I told her to change it, but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. The link is on my profile! :D

* * *

Chapter 13

_Enter: Normalness_

Yuri hummed merrily as she, along with everyone else in the class, waited for their homeroom teacher to arrive. It took her a lot of effort to keep her ears and tail from popping up. If they did, then she needed to give them a proper explanation. This lead to two problems; one: Yuri couldn't find a decent lie, and two: she was too forgetful to actually remember.

"Yuri-san, why do seem so happy?" Tsuna asked, completely blown away. Even though Yuri wasn't participating in the Ring Conflict, she could at least have the decency to worry over the others. But then again, Yuri was never a normal person.

"Hmm~? Oh. Well," she inhaled deeply, "I can't wait to film the Ring battles! I'm so excited!" she cried in delight and brought out her camera.

Tsuna walked away, mumbling something along the lines of 'I shouldn't have asked'. Nikoru placed a hand in his spiky locks and smiled comfortingly. Tsuna brightened somewhat and returned to his seat.

"Yuri, are you going to do anything to help Tsuna-kun and the others during the Ring battle?" Nikoru inquired. She decided it was best to ask before Yuri would do anything that caught her off-guard.

Yuri frowned in thought. "Dun' think so. There's nothing we can do anyways. Just sit back, make fun of them and film!" she added cheerfully.

Nikoru gave her trademark huff and grin. Her eyes twinkled with laughter. "Even when Lussuria plays unfairly and Ryohei ends up breaking his own arm? Even as Belphegor shakes Gokudera-san's hand and places a wire on him? Even as Lambo becomes gravely injured? Even as-"

Yuri placed her palm on Nikoru's forehead and shoved her back. "Mm, like I said; there's nothing we can do anyways. The Cervello twins-" Nikoru raised an eyebrow there. "-will keep observers back, remember?"

"What about the Sky battle? All the guardians are allowed to roam free."

Yuri opened her mouth, but soon snapped it shut when she couldn't counter Nikoru's reasoning. "True." Yuri chuckled mischievously which caused Nikoru to sweatdrop and subconsciously step back. "Nikoru, never be afraid to speak against me again." A smirk crawled up her lips, her sky-blue eyes gleamed mysteriously.

"H-Hai," Nikoru answered uncertainly, slightly afraid of the wicked aura surrounding her best friend.

Elsewhere, the Varia assassins shivered. What a strange omen.

oOoOo

"Awesome! Nikoru, you're so smart!" a surprised grin flashed onto Yamamoto's baby-face.

The gang was currently sprawled out around Tsuna's seat. Coincidentally, Yuri and Nikoru were also near the small brunette. The group just received their results from last period's math exam. Two were content with their results, the others… not so much.

Gokudera gained top marks, nothing new there. Nikoru received a 75, not too bad. Yamamoto managed to study a little, so he obtained a 68; at least he passed this time around. Yuri received a 49, not that she cared for anything other than English Literacy. Finally, the main character, the hero of this anime, received a 14. It was a two-digit number this time, at least.

Nikoru was caught off-guard by Yamamoto's exclamation. "Eh? N-No… this is just a little above average!" she smiled shyly as her a small blush crept on her cheeks.

"It's true," Yuri piped in with a smirk. She was currently sitting on her seat, like Tsuna, whereas the others stood. "She's slightly above average in every subject. Whilst I surpass her in English Lit," she finished smugly. Yuri was quite proud that she beat Nikoru in _one_ subject.

Nikoru nodded furiously, hoping that no one paid her any more unnecessary attention. The half-fangirl was quite modest. She knew she received better grades than a few others, but she never got superb or awe-inspiring grades. The highest mark she ever received was an 87.

Nikoru knew Yuri was quite exceptional in English Literacy. It surprised many, many people back in their previous class, in the other world, to hear the forgetful, thoughtless girl come third out of around two hundred other students in their grade. Their shocked faces pleased Yuri very much so.

Nikoru sighed. She was always wondering why her right-hand woman wanted to hide her intelligence. Maybe Yuri wanted to keep it a secret because it was fun? Maybe she wanted to see their bewildered expressions once her secret was found out. Or maybe Yuri likes deceiving people to think she was stupid, so that her cold and calculative self would remain hidden. After all, Yuri was practically the walking definition of 'look under the underneath'.

The White Moon guardian shook her head to clear all thoughts. The third reason was probably the most reasonable answer, given Yuri's personality.

"As if!" Gokudera scoffed loudly, breaking Nikoru out of her musings.

"What?" Yuri spat, clearly outraged. "How would you know? I've never shown you my results. You've never seen my marks back at my old school!" The infuriated girl was now standing. She placed the palms of her hands on the cold surface of her wooden desk. Her sky-blue eyes clashed with fierce, emerald ones.

Most of the class halted their conversations. They kept their heads down while shooting discrete glances towards the short-tempered duo every now and then.

Gokudera took a step closer towards Yuri, scowl in place. "I don't need to know that meaningless information to know that someone as thoughtless and weird as you definitely can't be intelligent."

Yuri growled, eyes ablaze with anger, "So what if I'm thoughtless?" she hissed out. "I can't help that. But just because I'm weird, it doesn't mean I'm hopeless at everything!" she screamed and took a few calming breaths.

She visibly collected herself. "Why be normal when being weird is more fun?" she asked rhetorically. Yuri knew this argument was going nowhere and knew Gokudera was too hard-headed to shut up, so she decided to stop there. Yuri tried to force a smile, but soon gave up; it was too tiring to fake a smile right now.

Gokudera adopted a sneer. "Because you're just _too_ weird," he breathed out with a scowl.

Yuri paused as a plan formulated in her head. "Okay," she told him simply.

Tsuna blinked. He watched as two of his very stubborn friends began tearing at each others' throats. He winced as the angered voices began rising in volume as each venomous word was spat out. He frantically looked to the others for help.

Yamamoto was just watching with a blank look, blinking every now and then. Nikoru was spacing out; her eyes had a distant look, like she wasn't even seeing what was in front of her. Ugh, where was Reborn where you needed him? Heck, Tsuna would even take Hibari if he could quieten the two down.

Tsuna accidentally let out a sigh of relief escape his lips as the voices died down. He watched as Yuri took on the exact same blank look Nikoru had seconds ago. Gokudera gained a confused scowl as he peered at the girl. Tsuna wondered what Yuri was thinking of, seeing a strange gleam in her eyes, Tsuna decided that he'd rather not know.

"Fine," Yuri said after a short moment. Her eyes were focused once more as they swept across the teen-aged Mafioso. They landed at Gokudera's green orbs and stared firmly. "From today on," she declared resolutely, "I, Kuraihana Yuri, will become a _normal,_ girly-girl." She smirked and left the room.

The class had simultaneous puzzled looks, but soon returned to their previous conversations. There were mixed reactions within the group.

Nikoru shook her head at the theatrics, but she was curious as to how this would end.

Yamamoto grinned. He, too, couldn't wait to see what kind of fun they would be experiencing.

Gokudera sent a frustrated glare at the poor, poor wall.

Tsuna frowned nervously. He knew that somehow, Yuri's antics would involve him in some form. Things that happen now-a-days always seemed to involve the small brunette.

oOoOo

Yamamoto Takeshi grinned from ear to ear as he walked out of the change rooms. He had just finished baseball practice and was now heading to class.

He was thinking over the strange things that happened after Yuri's declaration. When the baseball-player returned home after school, Yuri couldn't be found. But he shrugged it off, she would be back later.

Later that night, Yamamoto's dad informed him that Yuri called and told them that she would be staying at a friend's place. Yamamoto smiled amiably, he was glad Yuri was opening her heart more often.

Yamamoto slid the classroom door open and walked in. As he made his way to the back, right-hand corner where his seat was located, he passed by a raven-haired girl. Nothing unusual about that, but Yamamoto didn't know anyone who came this early.

The chocolate-eyed athlete tilted the head to the side slightly, confused. Wasn't that girl sitting on Yuri's seat?

"Yo!" Yamamoto walked up to the girl and grinned down at her.

The girl peered up through her black-framed glasses. She dog-eared the page of a thick novel she was reading, and smiled back at the towering boy. "Good morning," she smiled gently.

"Um… are you new here, because this is my friend's seat," Yamamoto stated with a anxious grin.

The girl's blue eyes sparkled with laughter as her smile grew. "It's me. Kuraihana Yuri."

Yamamoto's eyes bulged. "Eh? Really? You look and act so different!" He chuckled and took in her new look.

Her blue hair was gone. It was now a silky black colour and tied into a high ponytail. She wore rectangular, black-framed glasses that seemed to be popular amongst teenagers these days. Instead of black socks that reached mid-thigh, Yuri wore white ones that reached her ankles, just like every other girl. Her shirt was tucked in this time and her bow was tied properly. She didn't slouch, prop her feet up on the table and her collar was gone too.

All in all, Yuri looked so alien to Yamamoto.

A light frown touched the boy's lips. "Hmm… how long are you gonna stay like this?"

Yuri's smile fell slightly as her eyes became dull. "Until Gokudera-san apologizes, and Sawada-san admits that weird people are much more fun to be with."

Yamamoto furrowed his eyebrows. "Why is Tsuna involved?" His eyes twinkled with entertainment.

"Because Sawada-san is always complaining about how so many strange people seem to flock to him. He doesn't realize how much fun he enjoys and how lucky he was to meet Reborn-san. If he didn't, then his life would be pitiful."

Yamamoto nodded. He also noted how insightful Yuri was now. Maybe she was always like that but hid it? Since she was acting _normal_, maybe she decided to show off her serious side too? Yamamoto felt a pang of regret when he discovered that he didn't know Yuri as well as he thought he did, even if they lived under the same roof.

Yuri noticed Yamamoto's saddened orbs, and frowned worriedly. But why? "Yamamoto-san, I'm not sure why you're sad right now but don't worry, you're a good friend." Okay, so maybe she was taking a stab in the dark, but encouraging words were better than none… right?

Yamamoto smiled. Trust Yuri to say anything she could think of, though it did cheer him up.

The bespectacled girl grinned back and stood up. "I'm going to see Hibari-san. See you."

Hibari Kyoya was enjoying a nice nap on his favourite couch in the Reception room. He came back from training with that annoying Bronco a few minutes ago and took a break. He only managed to shut his eyes when there was a knock on the door.

The skylark narrowed his eyes in irritation. Who was foolish enough to interrupt his nap?

He conveniently forgot that no one could tell he was resting.

Hibari continued to lay on the couch, not bothered to open the door and make any signal for entrance. If it were a Disciplinary Committee prefect, then they would enter after a moment's pause.

True to his belief, the door slid open without much noise. Shuffling could be heard as the individual stood in front of Hibari. That… was strange. Normally, prefects would apologize for imposing before walking in.

Hibari opened an eye and was greeted by two striking blue eyes. He frowned lightly, why was the girl here so early? Only one person could have such lively blue eyes. It was annoying.

"Hibari-san," the girl spoke softly.

That was really strange. The girl would usually call him by that infuriating nickname, and mutter in a grumpy tone. Was this really his secretary?

Hibari rose and sat properly on the couch. He took in the girl's appearance and raised an eyebrow. "Herbivore, what are you doing here?" It was more of a demand than a question. Never mind who she was, Hibari wanted to know how this girl had enough gall to enter his quarters without the slightest strand of fear.

"Hibari-san, it's me. Kuraihana Yuri." She smiled slightly. "I'm here to give you this." She handed him a red and gold collar with a bell.

Hibari made no move to accept it. "Why in the world would I want that?" He expected her to shove it in his hands of throw it in his face, that was her usual demeanour. He did not, however, expect her to smile earnestly.

"Well, I used to wear it to symbolize that I was a part of the Disciplinary Committee. It was quite childish of me but I wanted people to know who I was." She coughed awkwardly. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you that I'm quitting the Disciplinary Committee." She explained patiently.

This confused Hibari. The girl was so persistent on becoming a prefect, so why was she suddenly giving up? He sighed inwardly. This girl was just too difficult to figure out. "Reason?"

"Hmm… Because _normal_ girls don't disrespect you, Hibari-san. And _normal_ girls tend to stay away from the Disciplinary Committee at all costs, let alone becoming a prefect of said group." Her eyes flashed whenever she enunciated the word 'normal'. "Sayonara, Hibari-san." The girl smiled and left, placing the collar on the small wooden table in front of him.

Hibari was left nonplussed. He stared at the bright collar while he mulled things over. Why did she keep enunciating that word? She changed her appearance and behaviour, for what purpose though? Instead of being boisterous and rude, she was now reserved and polite. It was quite… unusual to see her act so differently.

Hibari's eyebrows creased into a frown. Why should he care? It would a lot more quiet with her new attitude. Quiet meant peace to Hibari. And peace is all he wanted within the walls of Namimori-chuu.

The prefect lied back down on the couch gracefully, planning to regain the minutes of rest he lost by conversing with the girl. He didn't realize that he pocketed the collar, and when he did, sleep claimed him.

His last thoughts revolved around how obnoxious the girl used to be, and he thanked whatever deity there was that gave her a complete makeover.

Hibari didn't know that the so-called 'deity' was Gokudera, until later on…

oOoOo

Yuri walked back to the classroom at a mild pace. She schooled her face so that it kept a neutral expression. She looked back at how differently she acted when in 'normal mode'. She was inwardly screaming in agony and rolling around in anger. She was just so… girly. Yuri bit back a shudder. She was similar to Kyoko right now. That thought made her eye twitch ever so slightly.

She slipped into the classroom unnoticed by the others. Whilst she was making her trip to and from the Reception room, most of the class were already loitering within the room. On her way to her desk, Yuri bumped into something.

She stumbled back and managed not to trip. She was thankful for Fon, who helped her banish her clumsiness. Yuri peered up at the person she bumped into.

It was Gokudera.

Yuri wanted to sneer and smirk at her male-counterpart, but quickly refrained from doing anything that would revoke her previous declaration.

Gokudera glared down at her. "Watch where you're going."

A light frown touched her lips. Maybe wearing prescription glasses wasn't such a good idea… especially when you're eyesight was already fine. Yuri wanted to lash out at the boy but simply sighed quietly.

"Ah! Yuri, you're back." Yamamoto grinned and walked towards the duo. Yuri smiled in response.

"What?" Gokudera spat, completely surprised. Yuri's smile grew. "This," his green orbs scanned her up and down, "is the annoying girl?"

The aforementioned girl nodded with a smile and returned to her seat, leaving an utterly bewildered bomber and a laughing baseball fanatic behind.

Nikoru looked over to her and shook her head. "You're so weird," she smiled good-naturedly.

Yuri smiled back. "Not anymore."

oOoOo

Nikoru didn't know what to think of Yuri at the moment. The now-bespectacled girl had surprised most of the class with her transformation. From what Nikoru knew, the glasses Yuri had obtained were meant to be for a friend. But she didn't say who this friend was, which puzzled Nikoru somewhat.

The hair was but an illusion created by Mukuro. She visited Chrome yesterday with much, much food and stayed over at Kokuyo for the night. Mukuro's illusion ended up fading away, much to Yuri's chagrin, so she resorted to using her magic laptop.

Sensei was equally, if not more, surprised than the rest of the class. When sensei had asked a question referencing to English Lit, Yuri's had immediately shot up. Sensei was shocked and a little wary when she did so. Yuri had never willingly volunteered to answer any question before, even if it involved her favourite subject. The girl usually slept in classes and ignored everything else, hopped onto her laptop none-too-discretely or downright skipped school completely.

The middle-aged man was reluctant to pick her, seeing how no one else volunteered. He was expecting a wise crack, or some kind of insult to come out of the once-obnoxious girl's mouth, but delightfully surprised when she answered the question quite articulately.

That caused many jaws to drop.

Instead of rubbing it in Gokudera's face, or anyone else's, Yuri simply smiled shyly and pushed her glasses sliding off the bridge of her nose with her forefinger.

Nikoru wondered to what extent Yuri would go to, to prove her point. Did she really think Gokudera would apologize and swallow his pride easily? There was no way. Yuri and Gokudera were both stubborn and hard-headed.

The amber-eyed girl sighed quietly. One easily-provoked friend was more than enough, especially when they were in the same class as you.

Nikoru was brought back to Earth by simultaneous gasps and screams.

She and the rest of the class were currently outside in the baseball field playing, well, baseball. Though only the boys were playing, the girls stayed on the sidelines, sitting on the bleachers and cheering the boys on.

Nikoru frowned at obvious sexism displayed, which reminded her of something Yuri had said before they were transported to the KHR world.

"_Have you ever noticed how stereotypical Akira Amano makes KHR?" Yuri inquired, frowning._

"_Really?" Nikoru asked back, only realizing now. "How?" An eyebrow was raised._

"_Yeah. Like, since Lussuria is gay she makes him all girly and shit. Not all gay people are like that, people only think that because TV shows and stuff make it look like that. Also, the girls in KHR are stereotypes too. Haru and Kyoko just cook, clean and cry. The girls that actually do fight have little airtime or are incredibly weak and are defeated way too easily."_

_Yuri scowled. "Even Chrome is becoming girly."_

_Nikoru frowned deeply. "True…"_

She shook her head, as if to clear those thoughts. She focused on the sight in front of her.

All the boys playing backed away to the edges of the field, whereas the girls stared in fear as a group of around fifteen strong-looking men stood in the middle.

Who were they? They all wore dark-coloured clothing and stood forebodingly. They all had a strange, bright-red tattoo on either forearm, symbolizing that they were all in the same group. Nikoru gained the impression that the men were from the yakuza.

Why did she get the feeling that Yuri was somehow involved in this? It was probably the fact that one of the men - perhaps the leader, since he made the first move - was closing in on said blue-eyed girl.

Yuri stood from the bleachers and walked to the man closing in. The students cleared a pathway, hoping not to get in the middle of the crossfire. Where was the PE teacher in the midst of all this? Well, he was running for his life towards the Reception room.

The gang leader sneered as he stood in front of a blank-looking Yuri. "So you're the girl with strange blue eyes that defeated my underlings." He noted with a scowl.

"That is true," she replied monotonously.

"Those two were incredibly weak, beginners. So don't get a big head about defeating them."

Yuri inwardly decided on whether to drop her normal act right now and begin beating the crap out of the man. _He_ was the one getting a big head, for fuck's sake! Instead, she settled for a strained smile.

The man smirked coldly. "And we're here for revenge." As he said this, the rest of his subordinates rushed to his side. The students backed further away.

Yuri's smile grew. "_Normal_ girls don't fight." She sent a discrete glance to Nikoru and Reborn.

"Have it your way then." He grinned dangerously, blood lust flashing through his eyes. He signaled for the others to start beating her up.

Battle cries from the men filled the air, mixing in with Tsuna's frightened screech.

"Reborn! What are we going to do?" he inquired, clutching his gravity-defying hair.

"We have to stop them," Yamamoto declared resolutely, his once warm orbs turning cold and hardening.

Before he could take a step forward, the Rain guardian found himself staring down at the barrel of a green gun.

"Don't," Reborn commanded. The brim of his hat was tilted down, curtaining his eyes.

"But Reborn!" Tsuna pleaded helplessly as raucous laughter filled the air.

"Tsuna-kun, can't you see that Yuri isn't fighting back?" Her voice wasn't unkind, but firm. Tsuna looked back to the dusty field and nodded wordlessly. "And you heard her previous statement, right? _'Normal girls don't fight'_. I think she's waiting for an apology from Gokudera-san and an admission from you."

Tsuna hung his head in defeat. He just knew that something disastrous would involve him.

Gokudera, on the other hand, was positively outraged. "No way am I going to apologize! That girl can perish for all I care!"

"She just might…" Nikoru added ominously, inwardly chuckling at how truthful Gokudera's comment was with how things were going now. Well, Yuri wouldn't perish, it was more likely that she would sustain serious injuries.

Gokudera swallowed, but didn't relent. He felt the pressure on him as sickening crunches and squelches were heard.

oOoOo

Yuri was so dead. Literally. Ugh, she felt like she was already half-dead. Who the hell would sic fifteen fully grown, and a few armed, men at a thirteen-year-old _normal _girl? Oh, right. Sadistic bastards, that's who. Sadistic bastards wanting to avenge their underlings who were also caught injuring a fourteen-year-old boy. Yuri briefly wondered how Megane-chan was doing.

Two men on either side of her were making her stand by stretching her arms back, keeping her from falling to her knees as various hits were dealt. Why was she not fighting back again? Oh yeah, she was a very stubborn idiot. A bored sigh escaped her bloodied lips. That seemed to enrage the men more.

As the attacks intensified, she mused whether Inu-dera would apologize before she was dead. She inwardly snorted. There was higher chance of Kyoya smiling before that would happen. Hmm… a smiling Kyoya, eh? The easily-distracted girl wondered what that would look like.

Before she the image scarred her for life, Yuri was jolted out of her off-track thoughts by the loud sounds of explosions coming from above. Before the sticks of dynamite could actually hit anyone, they went off, causing the men to pause and look upwards.

While the men were distracted, a boy only clad in boxers rushed over and punched a few of the men. Another boy with a sword made his entrance and knocked the yakuza members with the back of his sword.

"Kuraihana Yuri!" Tsuna exclaimed fiercely as the flame on his head shone brightly. "I admit that weird people are fun to be with! I admit it with my Dying Will!" he added and returned to beating the men.

Yuri smirked. She vaguely registered the fact that Nikoru was fussing over her.

"Stupid, annoying girl!" Gokudera cried aloud as he kicked a man in the stomach. "I apologize too!" he said reluctantly, taking his newly-found frustration at the incoming delinquent.

The blue-eyed girl smirked triumphantly. Despite her injuries, she shot up and held her hand out to her friend. "Baka-bossu, let's join in on the fun, ne?" She grinned mischievously.

Nikoru chuckled and rolled her amusement-filled eyes. She took Yuri's offered hand and joined in on the… 'fun'.

After watching the men - the ones that actually remained conscious - run away with their tails between their legs, the Disciplinary Committee finally strolled over.

Yuri grimaced. What the _hell_ was Kyoya doing while the students of his _beloved_ school were quivering in fear? He was probably taking a nap, Yuri concluded. She hopped over to the raven-haired teenager.

"Kyo-chan! You were too late; we already took care of the herbivores," she smirked triumphantly once more.

Hibari's resisted the urge to let his annoyance seep through his facial features. It looked like the girl was back to her unbearable self.

"Now," she held her palm out expectantly, "gimme back my collar back."

Hibari silently took out the belled-collar out and dumped it in her hand unceremoniously. He also dealt a blow to the top of her head with the blunt edge of his tonfa.

"Thanks," she grinned, unaware of her damaged cranium.

Hibari always knew she was thick-headed. "Herbivore," the skylark began as the other prefects cleaned up the leftover mess. "You're returning to the Disciplinary Committee?" It was more of a statement.

"Yep!" she chirped brightly as she buckled her collar firmly, listening to the bell chime. "Glad that I'm back, Kyo-chan?" her smirk grew.

"No," he deadpanned and swiftly returned to the Reception room, yawning.

"Asshole," Yuri murmured. Though in spite of her words, she grinned. It felt good to be back.

Troublesome, Hibari mused, but at least he wouldn't be bored to tears anymore. The Cloud Guardian let a small smirk flash on his lips before he returned to his usual stoic demeanour.

"At least I distracted him long enough so that he didn't ask exactly _why_ those guys suddenly decided to attack," Yuri breathed out a sigh of relief and wiped the non-existent sweat off her brow. "I'm so lucky that the guys here are such idiots." She smiled and walked to the nurse's office, leaving a sweat-dropping Nikoru to herself.

* * *

**Author's rants:** Sorry if you think that there's not much humor, but if this story was 100% humor then it would be classified as 'parody' or 'slapstick'. And that would ruin the story completely.

It's mostly adventure/action, humor, some friendship, undetectable romance (you can tell if you squint... and are cross-eyed... and from far, far away), some drama and some angst.

It's a variety! But seriously, mostly adventure/action and humor. The rest are just small moments. :D

Believe it or not, but this chapter play an important part for later on... I think. :)

_Published date: _08-08-10

_Edited date: _14-09-10


	14. Enter: Sun Battle, Lightning Battle

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but my OCs.

**Author's rant: **Does anyone know what 'tao' is? o_o

* * *

Chapter 14

_Enter: Sun guardians, Battle - Sasagawa Ryohei VS Lussuria_

Sawada Tsunayoshi watched bewilderedly as his blue-eyed friend sat in front of the ring in which the battle was going to take place.

The brunette was meeting up with his friends at Nami-chuu for the upcoming battle. When he arrived, he almost fell down once he noticed Yuri sitting comfortably in a folding lawn chair without a care in the world. Even Nikoru was somehow roped in into sitting on a separate lawn chair.

Didn't Yuri-san feel the tense and suffocating atmosphere? Tsuna voiced inwardly, thoughts going a mile a minute. No, of course she didn't, Yuri-san is completely unaffected by anything that doesn't interest her.

Sometimes, Tsuna was found nonplussed at Yuri's behaviour. She seemed, at first glance, to be tough and short-tempered towards outsiders. But then when people got to know her better, they realized that she was quite cheerful and strange, but still loud. And then, when something provoked her and pushed her a tad bit too far, instead of blowing up in anger, Yuri would usually freeze over. She would become cold and calculative, always spitting out venom-filled words.

Suffice to say, even with the legendary Hyper Intuition, Tsuna didn't know how to describe Yuri in simple terms.

Yet, Nikoru-san could. The Vongola Tenth found that plausible considering that the amber-eyed girl knew Yuri much better, seeing how long they had been together for.

Nikoru-san was much easier to identify. She was kind and gentle to everyone, even strangers. Tsuna failed to realize how compatible they were. In fact, he always compared Nikoru to Kyoko. But unlike the younger Sasagawa sibling, Nikoru was less withdrawn when with Yuri and constantly displayed a slight aggressive nature towards her best friend. Even Yuri feared her at times. How strange, Tsuna mused, though he'd witnessed stranger things.

Looking back at the whole situation, the small boy grasped how frighteningly quick the two girls had crawled into a special place in their hearts. Gokudera always argued with Yuri with ferocity, they both insulted each other but deep down, Tsuna knew they enjoyed their arguments somewhat. Just like Yamamoto did with Gokudera. Tsuna smiled fondly, he had such weird friends.

Yamamoto was well… Yamamoto. The athlete was always happy-go-lucky and got along with both of the girls without much difficulty. Yuri was easily annoyed with Yamamoto if she stayed in his company for too long. In some ways, the stubborn girl was quite like Gokudera.

Tsuna was jolted out of his reverie as his loyal right-hand man shook him violently by the shoulders. The boy with half of the Sky Vongola ring instantly began to placate his worried friends, laughing nervously all the way.

"Thank goodness!" Gokudera exclaimed with relief as his shoulders sagged. "Juudaime, please excuse me for interrupting your musings, but they have arrived." He hissed out the last few words, emerald eyes glinting dangerously.

Tsuna nodded and gulped audibly as he looked up towards the Cervello and Varia.

OoOoO

It was announced by the pink-haired duo that tonight's battle would be fought by the Sun guardians.

The lights within the caged ring lit up, announcing its presence. The Middle schoolers looked at the metal death-trap with apprehension. Well, most of them did.

"I bag front seat!" Yuri exclaimed cheerfully, running eagerly towards her already set out lawn chair.

Nikoru shook her head, her dark-blue ponytail swishing behind her. She smiled and sat down next to her exuberant friend.

Both sides voiced out their opinions of the battle. Whilst the two energetic boys of Tsuna's Family were satisfied with the combat area, the assassins were commenting on how their boss was missing.

"Ne~ is Boss here yet?" Lussuria asked aloud, whining somewhat. He clamped his gloved hands in front of him and waved them, panicky. "It's my glorious moment on stage!"

"Ah!" Yuri cried, standing up. "Don't worry, Lussuria-san!" She waved her camera around, "I'll record the battle for you!" She grinned and gave the Good Guy Pose™.

"Ah~ Thank you, little girl!" Lussuria was grateful towards the girl and waved his hand in her direction.

Yuri smiled and felt her ears and tail surface.

Everyone else seemed to ignore the lively duo's conversation.

Squalo smirked. "There's no way that man would be interested in another's fight." Levi glanced at the sword-wielder when he noticed Squalo was talking about Xanxus. "Better yet, don't accept this pathetic battle that doesn't really suit us, and let me take them all!" He grinned sadistically. "I'll cut them apart in five seconds!" He noticed the Varia Lightning guardian watching him. "VOI! Why are you glaring at me?"

"He's glaring at you because he wants to know why you're talking to yourself!" Yuri stood on the seat of her chair and cupped her hands around her face, making sure they could all hear.

"WHAT?" Squalo spat angrily. "I wasn't talking to myself!" He disagreed vehemently.

"Fine." She allowed. Yuri then smirked slowly. "He was checking you out then, kthanxbye." She sat back down, leaving a red-faced, spluttering swordsman.

The Sun guardians bade their farewells and stepped towards the ring.

"I'm going. Leave it to me!" Ryohei declared, raising a bandaged fist. He stopped in his tracks when Yamamoto offered to form a circle.

"AWESOME! Sounds fun!" Yuri was all for it. She grinned and dragged a dumbfounded Nikoru with her.

"Ryohei, FIGHT!" Only two of the teenagers bothered to get pumped up about it.

_Yuri-san and Onii-san were the only ones who said 'Ryohei FIGHT'. _Tsuna hung his head.

Before Ryohei could step into the ring, he was stopped once more.

Yuri spent most of her time trying to work out a suitable and appropriate nickname for the older Sasagawa sibling. After a few days or intense thinking, she finally found a reasonable nickname.

"Hotai-kun!" _{__**Translation:**__ Bandage-kun__}_

Yeah… Yuri's imagination was succumbing to a level only Nikoru could possess. But Yuri at least had the decency not to call him anything offending.

Then again, she considered calling him 'boxing-baka'.

"What an extremely creative nickname!" Ryohei approved, rather loudly too.

Yuri grinned cockily. "Let's do a fist-bump!" She held her own fist out.

Ryohei gave a nod and pulled a bandage-clad hand back. Once the knuckles connected, the boxer left with a broad, excited grin.

Yuri waved with her other hand and her grin was a tad bit forced. When no one was paying her any attention, she turned away in to another direction. She squat down and gently cradled the hand she used to fist bump Ryohei. A waterfall of tears fell from her blue orbs and a heavily depressed environment surrounded her.

"He fist-bumps so hard." She whined in hushed whisper.

Nikoru looked over to see what was taking her friend so long. She sweatdropped and shook her head at the sight. She sighed exasperatedly. What else should you expect when the head of the boxing team fist-bumps you? Especially after all the training he's been through.

Yuri schooled her expression into an emotionless one and returned to her seat, rubbing her sore hand every now and then.

Lussuria made a rather… perverted comment on Ryohei's body. While the Varia were quite used to comments previously shown and remained unfazed, the other half of the guardians looked quite repulsed. Excluding Ryohei, he was entirely clueless. Yuri wondered whether the denseness ran in the family; first Kyoko then Ryohei. Well, it went the other way, seeing how Ryohei was born first, but Kyoko was introduced earlier! Yuri shrugged, oh well.

The blue-haired girl smirked. Lussuria's bold pride in unabashedly showing that he was gay impressed her. So many people these days were so obsessed with keeping appearances and not doing what they really want to. Peer pressure was annoying. Yuri made a mental note to visit Lussuria in the hospital afterwards. She honestly preferred him over others; others being Gokudera, Ryohei, Kyoko. The list went on and on.

Suddenly, as the Cervello announced the start of the battle, lights within the ring flickered on. Everyone cringed at the sudden brightness, their eyes not adjusting quite yet.

While the Cervello explained what was set up, Yuri got two pairs of sunglasses out and tossed one to Nikoru. "What a waste of electricity." Yuri commented none too quietly, earning her a dirty glance from both Cervello. The otaku paid them no attention and began shoving popcorn in her mouth.

Nikoru vaguely registered the fact that Yuri was nudging the box of popcorn in her direction. The girl with a darker shade of blue hair rejected the offer politely, and continued gazing at the sunglasses-clad Tsuna. She sneakily took a picture with Yuri's camera… which made her question exactly why it was lying there.

"I thought you were going to film the battles?" The girl turned to Yuri, not really paying attention to the pained grunts of Ryohei.

Yuri grimaced. "Lussuria should stop commenting about how Boxing-Baka's body is close to that 'ideal' body of his." She muttered disdainfully, dropping the formalities once said people were out of earshot. Her mind seemed to register Nikoru's question. "Nah, it's a waste of film considering how the Sun battle is my least favourite. I sometimes forget that Ryohei is a guardian too…"

Nikoru rolled her eyes at the admission. "Forgetful one," she smiled.

"Slow one," Yuri retorted with a smirk. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I should have been the Sun guardian." She puffed up her cheeks.

Nikoru unhinged her mouth, ready to counter it, but soon snapped it shut. She knew Yuri only said that half-heartedly, she merely let her tongue slip.

"I feel like playing with Squalo." She smirked devilishly.

"I don't think 'playing' is the right word. Besides," Nikoru pinched one of Yuri's cheeks, "do you want to get another broken bone? I thought you learnt your lesson when it comes to annoying people that have the strength to kill you." She lectured with a reproving tone, her maternal side seeping through.

"I knooow." Yuri's words came out slurred as her cheek was still in the midst of Nikoru's fingers. "But," she continued, once Nikoru released her. "That's why we've been training. Well, that's why_ I've_ been training. So that idiots like Squalo can't push me around anymore." She grinned while rubbing her still-sore cheek. "Why have you been training? Was it fun? Was Lal good?"

Nikoru waited for Yuri to finish unleashing her barrage of questions. "Me? I've been training because…" She pursed her lips and paused. Why had she trained? "Because I want to get stronger."

Yuri remained silent at the simple proclamation. "Huh?"

"Well, specifically, I want to become stronger so that I can fight. Like you, I dislike being a stereotypical girl, like certain others." She coughed and her eyes flickered over to the side before resuming their normal position. "Though I don't hate it with the same amount of ire as you do." She amended with a smile.

Yuri broke into a prideful grin. "Ngaw, look at you! You're using big words now! See, isn't reading fanfiction a great educational experience?"

"Yes, of course." Nikoru replied dismissively. "It was fun, I think. It depends how 'fun' you can have when running long distances and going through activities that you'd normally find in Boot Camp, or the military." She smiled ruefully. "Lal was your typical over-the-top trainer."

Yuri grimaced, but seeing her friend no different than usual made her nod wordlessly. She would die if Nikoru somehow adopted a crazy, loud and intense attitude that would be similar to Guy and Lee from Naruto. She shuddered at the idea of green spandex and thick eyebrows with a bowl cut to top it off.

The two girls returned to their match, both equally disinterested. Though, Nikoru hid her boredom well with a neutral façade, while Yuri was more open. Said girl's eyelids were drooping, she was on the brink of sleep.

Thankfully, Colonello's sudden entrance and loud encouraging outburst to Ryohei had inadvertently woken Yuri up.

The mention of Kyoko's name made Yuri scowl. She clicked her tongue in both annoyance and frustration. She inwardly noted how she clicked her tongue quite a few times already. "Ugh, I hate Kyoko." She grumbled quietly, so that no one other than Nikoru could hear. If anyone else heard, particularly Tsuna or Ryohei, Yuri would be in deep trouble. Damned Kyoko fanboys.

The calmer individual of the duo gave a lopsided smile. "You don't _hate _her, you only find her annoying."

Another click of the tongue. "Yeah, I know. But," she continued with a heavy sigh, "she's such a Mary Sue, so is Nana. Yamato Nadeshiko, my ass." She scoffed.

Nikoru slapped her upside the head, though she didn't put much force in it. "Language. Make sure no one else hears you, they'll be out for your blood if they do."

A sigh. "I know, I know. I'll just save the comments for my 'Dark self'." Like always, Yuri added mentally. "Whenever I'm about to explode and scream out my actual hate-filled, yet true feelings, hit me."

Nikoru noticed the pleading undertone invading Yuri's solemn voice. "Okay."

Yuri gave a small smile of appreciation and watched as Ryohei destroyed the now-crackling lights. Really, didn't anyone care about how much that must have cost? Um, okay. Apparently, when heat dissolves sweat, only salt is left. Well… that didn't seem like utter bullshit at all. Please note the blatant sarcasm.

"Oh!" Nikoru clapped her hands together as she realized something. She turned to a bored Yuri. "How was training with Fon?"

The girl suppressed a groan. Underneath the mask of a cute chibi, lied a devious sadist. "Nice people always do tend to turn out evil." She muttered as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, staring pointedly at a confused Nikoru.

She mulled over her stressful week. "It was alright, I guess. Not fun, though not too horrifying. At least I'm not as clumsy as before. He did teach me one helpful thing!" She grinned. "I can harden my muscles so when someone hits me, the blow won't injure me as intended." Yuri went into what Nikoru called her 'lecture mode'. "It doesn't really have a name, but it reminds me of the '_Tekkai_' that certain people use in One Piece, so I'll call it _Tekkai_."

"So that's why you didn't seem to be worried when those guys attacked you." Nikoru whispered, awed by Yuri's intelligence.

"Of course! You didn't think that I would charge blindly into a fight like that, how could you?" The younger girl feigned a shocked expression and gasped.

"No, of course not," Nikoru played along with a bemused smile.

"It's not perfect, of course. There are a few drawbacks, but you'll see later on."

"You're too lazy to go on, aren't you?" Nikoru deadpanned with a raised eyebrow.

Yuri pointedly ignored her comment.

The rest of the battle passed in a haze, in Yuri's opinion. She almost fell asleep. After all, the battle was cutting through her bedtime. As her eyes closed shut and she was on the edge of sleep, a whining voice broke through.

Who the hell woke her up just when she was about to get some sleep? Yuri inwardly seethed. Oh, it was Kyoko. Joy.

As the caramel-eyed girl continuously chanted 'oniichan', Yuri felt the urge to hit something grow more and more. Apparently, Fon's lessons on keeping calm weren't helping. At all. Was it her, or did Tsuna and Ryohei just magically become stronger and pull a life-saving move whenever Kyoko was around? Oh Kami, save us all, the safety of the world lies on the shoulders of annoying brats.

A thump resounded loudly, causing Yuri to crack a dull, blue orb open. She frowned at the sight of Lussuria's panicking form. Really, it was too pitiful to look at.

Ugh, grogginess made Yuri oh-so irritable.

She visibly flinched as Gola Mosca pointed his mechanical fingertips at the back of the Varia Sun guardian. No matter how well the Varia would turn out after the whole Ring Conflict was over, they were utter jerks right now. Must they all have the wonderful opportunity of getting the sense knocked violently into them by children?

The answer was obvious.

There were cries of outrage and dismay at the Varia's way of life. "Kill the weak." Wasn't that lovely? If they enforced that statement, more people than they could count would already be dead. Yuri reflected on her comment from the previous afternoon, men certainly were stupid. Or was it just practically everyone she met?

It was most definitely the latter.

Wow, was it her or did her thoughts take a really, really dark turn?

Squalo's shouts pulled her back to reality. Kami, couldn't this man _ever_ shut up? Yuri would have loved to snap at him, but she was too tired.

The Cervello announced that tomorrow night's battle would be of the Lightning guardians. Yuri didn't bother to flinch as they ring crashed down, causing loud noises to resound. She was quite used to loud noises by now.

So Lambo would be fighting tomorrow? Yuri grinned. She couldn't wait to see 20-year-later Lambo.

Nikoru watched as her friend scrunched up her face. Was it because Kyoko suddenly appeared again? That was understandable; Yuri would always pull a face when something that annoyed her came within a certain distance around her.

"Yuri, what's up?" She asked concernedly whilst Kyoko foolishly bought the supremely obvious lie.

Yuri grimaced. "I need to pee."

Nikoru almost fell out of her chair. "I-Is that so?"

The girl grunted in an unladylike manner. She overheard Iemitsu comment rather loudly how much Kyoko and Nana were alike. Yuri snorted and bit back the vile comments bubbling within her mind.

"Well, we should get going now. Tomorrow should be fun, ne?" The optimist chimed merrily, in hope to lift up Yuri's grumpy mood.

Yuri cracked a smile, stupid bossu. "Yeah. I guess so."

* * *

_Enter: Lightning guardians, Battle - Lambo VS Leviathan_

The ground was damp with the continuous light drizzle of rain, as a group of teenagers, and toddlers, travelled towards Namimori Middle School. The sky was dark with thunder clouds, as if to stress the fact of the upcoming life-or-death battle. Normal people would feel apprehensive at the atmosphere, but who ever said Kuraihana Yuri was normal? Perhaps stupid people would.

Said girl was humming jovially in her knee-length, black boots as she jumped into the puddles, spraying everyone within a close distance with rain water built up from the puddles.

"Stupid woman, how dare you dirty Juudaime!" Gokudera spat venomously.

Yuri, however, wasn't fazed in the least. She grinned and stuck her tongue out childishly. "Shut up, Inu-dera. And calm down, sheesh."

Lambo laughed obnoxiously. "Bleh! Stupidera was told off!" He continued laughing at the furious Gokudera.

"I like this kid!" Yuri decided. "He's even cute… when he doesn't talk, that is." She added.

"Yuri-san, I'm amazed at how calm you can remain." Tsuna murmured, torn between bewilderment and awe.

"Of course! Since that person is coming!" She snickered and skipped ahead.

"Yuri, you'll catch a cold if you don't use an umbrella!" Nikoru chastised, running after a thoroughly-soaked Yuri.

"But I don't like brown!" Yuri cried aloud from a fair distance.

Nikoru only had one umbrella on hand, the one she was currently using. She offered to share but… Her friend obviously disliked brown plaid umbrellas.

Even Nikoru didn't seem affected. Tsuna inwardly facepalmed and began fretting over whether Lambo could fight properly or not.

As the boys climbed up to the roof and gazed at in a mixture of awe and shock, Yuri pulled a cushion out of thin air and plopped down. She also brought a cushion for Nikoru, who sat down with much more grace than Yuri did.

The cheerful girl also brought out a large parasol that could fit two people underneath. The parasol stood erect above the two girls that were out of place in the suspenseful atmosphere.

Lightning struck down on one of the lightning rods that helped form the Elettrico Circuit. The rod, along with the wires running along the floor underneath it, shined brightly.

Yuri let out a low whistle. "Kyo-chan is gonna be pissed when he sees the scorch marks tomorrow." She smirked deviously, not realizing that she would probably be with him when he noticed it, and that he would most definitely take his frustrations out on her.

She rubbed her temples tiredly. Lambo's whines were increasing devastatingly in volume. How can someone misinterpret the obviously sizzling rods to be an amusement park ride? Even though Lambo was five, he was still raised within the Mafia.

Then again, he was a stupid cow.

Yuri debated which was thicker, Kyoko or Lambo. Probably the former. She was older but not exactly 'smart' either.

Why did her thoughts always circulate around that girl?

The upside to her musings was that a lot of time passed while she dove deeper into her mind. The minutes inched by as Yuri missed the Varia's entrance, the Circle or Cheer (as she dubbed it), Tsuna's speech and his reluctance at letting Lambo fight.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Nikoru unwillingly jumped beside her. It was completely understandable after all. Combined with Lambo's screams of surprise, the booming thunder sounded even more dangerous.

Smoke emanated off of the little cow's body, reminding Yuri of burnt food. Soon enough, the girl found herself drooling slightly. Using the sleeve of her blue raincoat, Yuri hastily wiped the saliva away. Why had she missed dinner again? Oh yeah, so she could go to Kokuyo and give Mukuro his birthday present.

Damn it, he annoyed her so much! But it wasn't the same annoyance she maintained when with Kyoko, Gokudera, Ryohei, and sometimes Tsuna, it was… different.

She reflected on the reasons why, exactly, she found certain individuals unbearably irritating.

Kyoko was too dense and Mary Sue-ish. 'Nuff said.

Haru was alright. At least she displayed more emotion than a certain caramel-haired girl.

Ryohei was also dense and too infatuated and overprotective of his sister. Did he honestly expect to keep her oblivious about the Mafia _forever_?

Gokudera was one the people on Yuri's 'People I Hate' list. She actually had a list, something that made Nikoru roll her eyes at. But she would talk about the list later. Gokudera was overly obsessed with Tsuna, not unlike Ryohei and Kyoko's situation. The bomber didn't know how to cherish his life above others' and it pissed Yuri off to see how annoying he could become for Tsuna.

Ah, Tsuna. Yuri thought Tsuna was quite cute, who wouldn't? But the same went for him as it did for Ryohei. The brunette was too, if not more, obsessive over Kyoko. Fark, in the Future Arc he would always address the non-combatants that came from the past as 'Kyoko and the others'.

When he screamed at Irie, he kept on saying how he put them in danger by bringing 'Kyoko and the others' to the future. Kyoko was probably the only thing in his mind most of the time.

What Yuri didn't comprehend was _why_ Tsuna was so in love with the girl that didn't even bother to give him the time of day, or even acknowledge his existence before Reborn dropped by.

Surely, Nikoru was a much more suitable choice. Nikoru was in some ways like Kyoko, and in other ways not. Unlike Kyoko, Nikoru displayed emotions other than worry and content. Nikoru wasn't obsessed with cooking, cleaning or doing other meaningless chores. The amber-eyed girl wanted to fight, even though it didn't seem like it.

Nikoru was kind, gentle, athletic, and capable of fighting, she was a Yamato Nadeshiko. Well, except for her cooking. Yuri spent a few days in bed after trying her friend's 'biscuits', if you could call the mutilated things that.

Yuri was vaguely aware of a fist colliding against her head. When she did, she immediately turned towards the person responsible. Nikoru sat there, a grim smile playing on her lips.

"You had this dark look in your eye when you started glaring at the space in front of you." Yuri noticed the disapproving shade in Nikoru's normally bright eyes. "Complaining again?"

Yuri sighed in defeat. "Yeah, and I was also thinking about your… unique cooking. I bet you could give Bianchi a run for her money."

Nikoru smiled. "That didn't turn out how I planned, I wonder what went wrong. Oh wells. Now, why were you in such a frustrated mood?"

Yuri stared pointedly at her friend and pouted. "I'm hungry."

Nikoru rolled her eyes amiably as her hand roamed around her bag. After a moment she pulled a bento out. She sighed when Yuri stared at it, horror-struck. "Mama made it, not me." She assured with a light scowl.

Yuri muttered something along the lines of 'Thank Kami', and began to dig in. "What did I miss?" She managed to say between mouthfuls.

Used to Yuri's hasty way of eating, Nikoru continued on normally. "Hmm, Adult Lambo arrived through the 10-year-bazooka. That's the only interesting thing that happened so far."

"Wouldn't he be 'Teen-aged Lambo', since he's only fifteen?"

Nikoru shrugged noncommittally.

The two girls diverted their attention just in time to witness _Teen-aged _Lambo absorbed Levi's attack. Yuri snickered at his choice of weapon, what kind of assassin uses umbrellas, for crying out loud!

Everyone sweatdropped and Yuri muttered 'what an idiot' as Teen-aged Lambo cried a fountain of tears and hopped into the 10-year Bazooka once again.

An eerie silence fell as the pink smoke dissipated and revealed a man with black hair, wearing a brown coat. His fingerless-gloved hand caught the falling Lightning ring easily.

"Yare, yare. This phenomenon… If this isn't a dream, it's been a long time since I've been summoned by the 10-year Bazooka." Adult Lambo murmured to himself. He looked back at the awe-stricken group.

Yuri eyed his attire and smirked. "Lambo, I approve!" She grinned and held out a 'thumbs up'.

"It's been a long time, Young Vongola." He whispered and moved onto Yuri. "Hm, I haven't seen you this young in a while, Yuri. I still remember the embarrassing antics you pulled."

Yuri looked aghast. "You're saying I'm old in the future? Well this gets better and better." She grimaced.

Adult Lambo's eyes softened and he remembered a hazy flashback. It was when he was young and remembered the time Yuri accidentally stepped on him. He pushed the thoughts away and looked back to the battlefield. "It's not the time for me to be sentimental. That brutish-looking one is glaring at me." His lazy gaze drifted to Levi.

Yuri grinned and took a picture of the once-stupid cow. This was the climax of the battle, the most exciting part; the part in which Yuri was waiting for. At least this battle was a little more exciting than the Sun battle.

Now that Adult Lambo had disappeared and the group didn't get to see him finish of Levi, Yuri began to think.

"Nikoru, I've been thinking-" She began but was cut off by a gasp.

Nikoru looked completely stunned. "You've been thinking? It's 2012!"

Yuri rolled her eyes and laughed sarcastically. "Yes, yes. But seriously, I've been thinking about the Future and my thoughts travelled to Lambo." She frowned slightly. "I wonder how he's going to fight when up against the Real Six Funeral Wreaths."

Nikoru hummed thoughtfully. She knew Yuri didn't read the manga, so of course she wouldn't know. But Nikoru knew that her friend wouldn't take it very well if she spoiled what would happen. "Have you seen the episode 195?"

"G's Archery? Yeah, I have." She scowled angrily. "Stupid Inu-dera, a bow and arrow was supposed to be _my_ box weapon, damn it." She glared at Gokudera, who was busy engrossed with Tsuna as he rescued Lambo.

"Really?" Nikoru questioned, her voice distant. She heard this all before and didn't pay it much attention. She was busy watching starry-eyed as Tsuna went into Hyper Dying Will mode.

Yuri stopped in mid-rant when she noticed Nikoru not even listening. "Stupid fangirl…" She muttered under her breath.

The atmosphere immediately tensed and a few people gasped. Yuri looked up and swore she heard organs playing as Xanxus made his presence known. Hey, Yuri thought cheerfully, Xanxus is standing on Kyoya's favourite sun-baking spot. Or sleeping spot, whatever, it was the same thing.

Xanxus chuckled at Tsuna's resolve to keep his friends from being hurt.

"It's been a while since we've seen Boss smile like that." Mammon observed curiously.

Smile? That was obviously a smirk. Yuri wondered if Mammon had trouble seeing, what with the hood covering his eyes and all.

She sighed, though no one seemed to notice. They were all engrossed as Xanxus claimed Tsuna's other half of the Sky ring. Honestly, the whole thing was pointless when the rings would choose their owners in the end. But then again, the training and the things they go through throughout the Conflict would strengthen them in the end.

Complex things all began by simple accidents, after all. Ah, the butterfly effect, was it? Or did that infer to the Future Arc? Ah well.

Wait, after the Varia retreat and the gang rush up to Lambo, doesn't the 'mysterious Mist guardian' appear and comment on how 'weak' Tsuna is? Yuri queried mentally. That's pretty unusual for Chrome. Oh wait, Mukuro was speaking through Chrome's lips… How confusing. Yuri never did like puzzles.

Yuri jumped up and searched the other buildings' roofs. Ah, there they were! Yuri spotted three cloaked figures standing on a random rooftop. She waved jovially at the three before they ran off. How rude.

"Nice to see you again, Naru-chan." She smirked as a small yellow bird descended onto one of her shoulders. "Where's Blue? I thought he was keeping Chrome company too."

Naru-chan changed positions so that he was now sitting on his owner's head. He didn't like being jostled whilst on her shoulders as she began walking.

"Is he still with her?" She asked curiously.

"No." Naru-chan replied, simple and straight to the point.

Yuri scrunched up her eyebrows. "So he's on his way to Nikoru?"

"No." He chirped.

"Oh my Buddha." She groaned impatiently. "Then he's on his way to Tsuna's?"

"Yes." Naru-chan was glad that she guessed. He loved messing with his owner.

Yuri just knew Naru-chan was happy to toy with her, that sadistic bird. She knew he could speak a full sentence, but he was content with playing the simple-minded bird.

The girl yawned and finally reached her destination. Yamamoto was still at the hospital with the others, and the restaurant was already closed. Yuri switched her boots with slippers and strolled to her mattress.

Before succumbing to the peaceful dreamland known as sleep, Yuri pulled her phone out and dialed a familiar number.

"Yuri?" The voice questioned, puzzled as to why she would call this late.

"I know I only saw you a few minutes ago, but I forgot to tell you something." She pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. "I'm not going to see Inu-dera's fight, it's too boring and the idiot was stupid enough to actually shake hands with the enemy before a fight."

Yuri paused for a moment. "Actually, all the other fights are really boring since I've already watched them. So I'm gonna skip all the other fights except Tsuna's 'cause that's the most awesome one."

Nikoru hummed and nodded in agreement. "So you want me to tell the others?"

"Nah, I don't think they'll care whether I'm there or not, probably relieved that someone isn't there to make random jokes. Anyways, did Blue come to you yet?"

"Yeah. He was soaking wet and decided to transform into his Maximized Version so he could cover more ground faster. Now I have to dry him." A blow dryer could be heard through the phone. "So what are you going to do tomorrow night, sleep?"

"Hmm… Maybe. Or maybe I'll have a sleepover with Kyoya, if he's not busy, that is."

"Well, it's not the first time you'll have a sleepover with a guy," she noted dryly.

Yuri smirked, "Now, help me decide how exactly I should torture- I mean, how exactly we should have fun."

Nikoru swore she could feel the mischievous atmosphere surrounding her snickering friend. "S-Sure."

* * *

**Author's rant: **...Yeah, I was in a Kyoko-bashing mood. :3

_Published date: 15-08-10_


	15. Enter: Sky Battle

**Disclaimer:** It's too troubling to disclaim EVERY SINGLE TIME, so Imma post the disclaimers on my profile. :D

Btw, I'm gonna be on _HIATUS_ for a while. Sorry, overloaded with work *stupid science sensei suddenly turning dictator on us and loading us with tests*

_**Btw, I created my own FS account. Feel free to ask anything... literally. **Link on my profile~ ;D_

* * *

Chapter 15

_Enter: Sky guardians, Battle - Sawada Tsunayoshi VS Xanxus_

"So, how was your break?" Nikoru asked conversationally as she and Yuri walked towards Namimori. The moon shone strongly as it watched the girls stroll throughout the dead-quiet town.

Yuri reflected on her last few days of relaxation and peace. Skipping school altogether - honestly, the only reason she went was so she could finally become a prefect. But seeing how Hibari wasn't there and was busy doing who knows what, Yuri figured that he wouldn't notice if she vanished for a few days - Yuri spent her the daytime either hanging with the K-gang or playing with Fuuta.

Occasionally, she would visit Lussuria at the hospital, oh, and Lambo, but her first priority was Lussuria. Still not letting go of her noticeable - though only Nikoru seemed to notice, or care - annoyance of Kyoko and (sometimes) Haru, Yuri felt that she would take all the time she wanted visiting Lussuria whilst waiting for the girls to leave.

Visiting Lussuria was amazingly fun. Surprisingly, the Varia assassin also had a dislike of stereotypes, and shared the same like of cute things. Lussuria insisted that Yuri should come and visit the Varia Headquarters in Italy, despite the fact that he had no clue as to how things would turn out, once the whole Ring nonsense was over.

Yuri smirked and agreed without hesitation. Having knowledge of what was going to happen did help after all. Then again, there was no point of going to Italy since she would be transported to the Future later on, but Yuri didn't want to rain on her new friend's parade.

After several moments of concocting a plan to get Nikoru to wear something _other_ than a hooded-jacket and spaghetti-strap top, Yuri bade her farewell and made sure that Lambo was alone before entering his room.

Seeing how there was the probability of an assassin arriving and dealing a blow to the small cow-boy, Yuri found it incredibly thick to leave him alone. Although no-one other than Bianchi knew of the Varia… but still! Yuri promised to improve her arguments later.

The Dark Moon ring wearer spent a few moments talking to the unconscious Mafioso about various things. Some might call it 'brainwashing', but what would they know? Just because Yuri fed the boy insults that were specifically made for a certain Storm guardian that would easily be used later on, she didn't see why it could possibly be misinterpreted for 'brainwashing'.

By the time Yuri finished reading off her list - which was named '50 ways to insult the idiotic, foolish, blinded by admiration, thick-headed Gokudera' - the day had already ended with a boom, literally.

Her cat ears had begun to pop out at the strangest of times and informed her that the explosions were coming from Namimori. Loud noises didn't affect her in the least so Yuri shrugged without a care and decided that it must have been time for Gokudera's fight.

The next day, Yuri slept peacefully without having to wake up at an ungodly hour - anything before 11a.m. would count as 'ungodly' - and got up when no longer sleepy. Ah yes, no one knew how helpful the wonders of sleeping-in did to Yuri's attitude.

Whistling jovially, Yuri walked with a bounce in her step. Maybe she could convince Irie to skip school? With his grades, he wouldn't have to worry about missing one day.

Yuri paused in her whistling as realization struck like a bolt of lightning. Kuraihana Yuri, self-proclaimed bully-hater, just thought about making an innocent, rule-abiding boy - forgetting the fact that he was older than her - skip school with her! That completely screamed 'peer pressure'.

She immediately abandoned any thoughts of convincing Irie to truant with her and power-walked away, as if to leave her thoughts from where she stood moments ago.

Shaking off the invisible creepy-crawlies that symbolized her disgust of turning into some bullying-monster, Yuri decided to wait until Irie finished school like normal.

Ever since her 'fateful' - as she liked to call it - meeting with Irie, Yuri made it her job to walk the boy home after school. Despite his protests, Irie's pride finally lost to Yuri's reasoning, that and the fact she promised that if he didn't relent, then she would transfer to his school and move in with him. The poor boy thought she was joking, but once he saw the serious look in her eyes, he gave up. Yuri wondered why he started shaking after a few moments, he looked like he was imagining something. Definitely strange.

"Yuri!" A voice exclaimed impatiently, jolting her out of her thoughts.

The person-in-question turned around and noticed Nikoru a few steps behind her. "Nikoru?" she asked innocently. "Why did you stop all of a sudden? Were you lost in thought again? Honestly." She bit back a smirk as Nikoru spluttered.

Nikoru managed to calm back down and gave her famous Shadow Smile™. The Smile grew as Yuri gulped loudly. "What was that?"

Yuri shivered uncontrollably. "N-Nothing." She stuttered out. Nikoru was still scary, nice people tended to be the most evil underneath after all.

"Good." The evil aura emanating off of Nikoru's body disappeared altogether and her smile returned to normal. She started walking once more. "After I asked you how your break went, you began spacing out, again."

"Oh… I see." Was there any need for an apology? Nah, Yuri rejected the idea, it wasn't like she was _sorry_ for spacing out. "Hmm, it was alright. I guess."

"I see," Nikoru replied in a dubious tone. It was obvious that Yuri had fun, Nikoru saw the signs of reminiscence easily. When Yuri had failed to reply after a few seconds, Nikoru peered curiously at her friend. Yuri was staring into space, her eyes donned a faraway look and the slight upward twitch of her lips signaled that she was smiling.

Yuri let out an ear-piercing shriek. She swiftly turned so she was facing Nikoru and firmly placed her hands on Nikoru's shoulders, locking her in place. "You!" she breathed out. "I can't believe you forgot to tell me about Chrome's battle!" Her anger was instantaneously replaced with despair.

Throughout that little scene, Nikoru merely stared blankly and blinked, that was her typical reaction whenever Yuri pulled something strange. "Eh?" was her intelligent remark. "Oh. The Mist battle? I thought you weren't going to any other battle except Sky's…"

"Yeah, but I completely forgot about Mukuro!" Yuri confessed without any embarrassment. "Although I guess it was my fault since I forgot." She mumbled with a pout.

Nikoru nodded with a small smile and the two began walking again. Yuri sighed, breaking the comfortable silence. "But the Mist battle was the most action-packed, and I got the chance to make fun of Mukuro again."

Nikoru sweatdropped and chose not to respond.

"I could have cheered Chrome on and while visiting Lussuria-san -" Yuri found new respect for the man, "- and Lambo, I could have visited my Chrome." She hung her head in regret and a waterfall of tears spilled from her eyes. "No wonder why I couldn't find her. She was either in the hospital, watching fights, or training."

Yuri's flow of tears abruptly stopped. "So, how was the Cloud battle?" she asked nonchalantly.

Nikoru displayed no reaction to the sudden change in topic and mood. "Awesome! I got to see Hyper Dying Will Tsuna and Determined Tsuna!" Nikoru beamed happily.

"I haven't seen that episode in so long. I might as well watch during the Sky battle tonight. Speaking of which, why is it taking so long to get to Namimori-chuu?"

"Maybe because we've been walking around aimlessly," Nikoru quipped and paused to look at their surroundings.

"Well, it's not my fault since we both know that I have a horrible sense of direction."

"That's not something you should be proud about," Nikoru deadpanned, shooting Yuri a bewildered look.

"Whatever." She shrugged carelessly. "Ah! Maybe we can ask those hobos for directions!" she exclaimed cheerfully, pointing at four figures in the distance.

The duo sped up their pace and the figures became more distinguishable.

"Is asking hobos a safe thing to do?" Nikoru muttered rhetorically, though Yuri didn't seem to hear.

"Oi~! Hobo-san!" The ecstatic girl cried out with a grin.

"What the hell? We're not hobos!" A familiar voice boomed indignantly.

This dampened Yuri's mood. "Eh? Inu-dera, is that you?"

"Obviously," Gokudera scoffed as the girls were an arm's distance from them.

"Well, I'm assuming that you guys are heading to Nami-chuu?" At the simultaneous nods, Yuri grinned. "Good. Now hurry and lead the way."

oOoOo

"You'd think after going to the same place for several weeks, one would remember where their destination is," Gokudera said none-too-softly with a scowl.

Yuri smirked at Gokudera's obvious irritation as they reached Nami-chuu. She instantly dragged Nikoru away from the other Guardians and the two began formulating a plan.

"So how are we going to convince the Cervello into letting us onto the Battlefield?" Nikoru cut right to the chase, seeing how they didn't have much time til the Cervello women threw them into a cage.

"Show them our rings?" Yuri suggested, not really caring either way.

Nikoru, sensing that Yuri could care less, glared lightly. An idea popped into her head, she knew exactly how to get Yuri pumped up. "You know, if we're allowed to roam free then you can do whatever you like, such as talking to Hibari-san while he lies on the floor." She secretly apologized to Hibari, but sacrifices had to be made after all.

Yuri thought for a while. "Hmm, better than being locked up like a wild animal. Sure." Her lips split into a grin that was sure to bring mischief. "I know what we can do."

Yuri decided that it would be better if she went to the Cervello duo alone, so that it wouldn't seem like they were posing a threat with even numbers. Nikoru blinked as she watched Yuri chat animatedly to the somewhat emotionless women.

Throughout the discussion, Yuri practically shoved her ring-clad hand in the Cervello's faces. Nikoru figured that Yuri must have waved off the disguise since the womens' eyes widened marginally. The two looked to each other and Nikoru guessed that they had a silent conversation with one another, it was entirely possible since she and Yuri did it at times.

After a curt nod from the both of them, Yuri bounced back with her cat ears and tails surfacing. She informed Nikoru that they were allowed to walk around and since they didn't prepare any of the poison beforehand, they wouldn't have to suffer. In return, Yuri promised that they wouldn't interfere noticeably. That settled the deal entirely.

Yuri laid a hand on Nikoru's shoulder. "Well, have fun looking after Lambo!" With that, she ran off, leaving an utterly clueless Nikoru behind. "Make sure not to give him the antidote, don't mess up the plot-line!"

oOoOo

Yuri ran over to Hibari, who was sprawled out on the ground. Her eyes widened with worry at his crumpled-up form, but knew she couldn't do anything to help, he would get the antidote himself soon enough.

Strolling with a bounce in her step, Yuri kept her eyes on Hibari. Once she was by his side, she sat down and made herself comfortable. Hibari made no move other than the slight jerk of his head to indicate awareness of Yuri's entrance.

"So," Yuri began conversationally after a few seconds of silence. "It pains me to see you in this position, Kyo-chan, though it makes good blackmail." As if to prove her point, Yuri pulled her camera out from who-knows-where and snapped a few pictures.

Hibari adjusted his head slightly so he could see the owner of the incredibly annoying voice. He tried to hold a glare but failed as the poison spread throughout his body and inflicted more pain onto him.

"Wow, the Death Heater must be powerful," remarked Yuri. "Death Heater? Sounds like 'Death Eater' from Harry Potter. They ripped that name off!"

"…" Hibari merely stared at her.

"I get the feeling that you want the antidote, but then again you would probably die if I get the ring for you. Oh well, I wouldn't help you anyway, since you didn't want to have a sleepover with me." She puffed her cheeks up and scowled. "But now, I'll make up for our loss by talking to you now!" She concluded brightly.

After a few minutes of unsuccessful attempts at conversation, Yuri huffed impatiently at now-irritated Hibari. "I'm going to bother the others now- uh, I mean, watch from afar now," she amended with shifty eyes.

She jumped to her feet, "Good luck, Kyo-chan." She smiled and walked away. "You know," she began whilst strolling at a comfortable pace, "If Mukuro was in your position, he would be free by now and he would have rescued as many people as he could!" Yuri broke into a hasty dash and could literally feel the annoyance and killer intent radiating off of Hibari.

Oh well, she mused, at least Hibari would be a little more enthusiastic - though not very - about saving others and fighting for Tsuna's side. A little… encouragement wouldn't hurt, hopefully.

"I wonder how Megane-chan is doing…" Yuri whispered almost inaudibly as she gazed into the depths of the night sky. A few stars were visible amongst the clouds and pollution made from the city lights. The moon was full and foreboding, anticipating the events that were sure to come.

What to do now? Yuri settled for re-watching half of the Reborn! series. Whilst in the middle of watching her third episode, Yuri managed to remember that Nikoru was also roaming around the school somewhere - her memory was quite faulty after all. The only logical place that she would go would be to the roof where Lambo was. Then again, Yuri never told Nikoru why she had to go to Lambo first and foremost…

oOoOo

Nikoru inwardly chastised herself for following Yuri's instructions without hesitation. Usually, Yuri would only order something if it was completely logical, urgent, or made on a whim. Occasionally, it would be the latter, but seeing how they were roaming around a battlefield, maybe Yuri would think seriously. Maybe.

Sighing as she climbed the steps one at a moderate pace, Nikoru was completely startled when the crackling of lightning was heard, followed by a loud explosion. She was stunned for a moment, several images flicking through her mind. She was trying to recall what happened in this part of the show.

Another boom resounded, jolting her out of her hasty thoughts. As though it were some sort of alarm for her, Nikoru reflected that this moment was when Gokudera arrived and fought Levi as a distraction from Lambo.

Before she could register the fact that Yuri's order was - indeed - logical, Nikoru ran towards the gasping cow-boy and carried him along with his oxygen mask. Gokudera didn't seem to see her as he was busy fighting Leviathan, which Nikoru was thankful for. Unlike Yuri, Nikoru was serious when it came to fights, no matter her foreknowledge of the outcome.

As the battle neared its end, Nikoru kneeled down and gently laid Lambo on the roof, escaping before Gokudera could spot her and troublesome questions could arise.

She watched from a fair distance as Gokudera administered the antidote while muttering, "Somehow, Stupid Cow, you're safe."

Nikoru smiled and made her way to wherever Yuri was located.

oOoOo

Yuri wore a predatory smirk as she filmed the battle between Hibari and Belphegor. "Wow~ Kyo-chan sure is sexy when he's like that." She remarked.

"You're still fangirling over Hibari-san?"

Yuri flinched and almost fell out of the tree branch she was currently occupying. She saved herself from an embarrassing fall that would also alert the two sadistic and masochistic pair of her presence by hooking her legs on the branch. Now upside down, Yuri breathed a sigh of relief and glared at the offender planted casually beside her.

"Baka, don't startle me!" she whispered in a hush manner. Even though Belphegor and Hibari were quite far away from the girls, they still had their guards up nonetheless, and it would be bad if they suddenly discovered them because they couldn't contain their volume.

"Sorry." Nikoru gave sheepish grin.

"No you're not," Yuri said, dubious.

Nikoru blinked. "Ok."

Yuri gave her and impassive look. Shaking her head, she answered the question. "Yeah, apparently. Sometimes though, only when he's in action, I guess." She was now sitting back on the sturdy, thick branch. "I'm not sure if I would label it 'fangirling'. I just think he's good-looking, that's all."

"And Mukuro?"

Yuri frowned and scrunched up her face. "He's good-looking too, but whenever I see his face I feel like punching it, or kicking it. He's annoying." She said all this while filming the ongoing battle. "Then again, there are a lot of attractive people in this place, what else would you expect in a land of bishies?"

Nikoru remained silent while her friend babbled on. This was another example on how opposite they were. Yuri liked talking a lot, whilst Nikoru liked to listen and observe. "True."

"I say a whole paragraph, and all you can say is 'true'?" Yuri asked, narrowly dodging a stray knife.

"Yeah," Nikoru deadpanned.

Yuri snorted noncommittally. She stopped recording and stored her camera away. She arched her back and stretched her arms above her head, hearing a satisfying pop of the joints, Yuri relaxed. Her shoulders sagged as she turned to her friend. "You gonna stay here and watch Tsuna fight Xanxus?"

"I guess. There's nothing else to do."

"I see. I'm gonna go read fanfiction or continue re-watching eps, bye-bye." Yuri landed with a thud as one knee hit the ground. Shaking it off, she walked away at slow pace towards one of the buildings least likely to be damaged during the crossfire.

Nikoru wondered how Yuri was going to read or watch, but seeing the laptop in her friend's hands answered her unvoiced question.

oOoOo

Before she could enter through the Main Entrance of one of the buildings that made up Namimori-chuu, Yuri heard a high-pitched complaint.

She halted in mid-step. "Lussuria-san?" She raised both eyebrows quizzically.

"I don't want to die!" The Varia assassin whined.

Hmm, what to do? Gokudera was the one who retrieved the Sun Ring and administer the antidote for both Ryohei and Lussuria, but it wouldn't hurt to interfere, would it?

Clearing all thoughts, Yuri jogged over to the podium which held the ring? Seriously, they made it so tall the disc at the top was immensely wide, all for a tiny ring? Honestly…

But how was she supposed to get it down? They never showed how they did it in the anime. Was she supposed to break it? Climb up? Breaking it seemed like a good thing to do, or…

"Naru-chan," Yuri whispered quietly.

The small ball of feathers appeared out of nowhere and hovered in front of his owner.

Yuri wondered if birds could look curious, or confused. "On the top of this podium." she gazed at the long stand in front of her, "there's a ring. Can you get it for me?"

In answer to her request, Naru-chan simply flew up. After a few seconds, he flew back down with the Sun Ring in its beak, fighting the urge to swallow.

Yuri smiled as thanks and debated on whether she should give it to Lussuria or Ryohei first. Ryohei was on Tsuna's side, and he could move once the antidote was given. On the other hand, Yuri preferred Lussuria and he couldn't run away either. Decisions, decisions…

Fortunately, her inner conflict was resolved when Gokudera entered the scene with an unconscious Lambo.

"Stupid Girl, why are you here?" Gokudea asked, completely bewildered. "Actually, _how _are you here?" he corrected, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Okay. First, I'm here because I was bored and had nothing better to do. Secondly, I'm awesome, duh. I though we've been through that already." She rolled her eyes.

Gokudera bit back the few comments that he wanted to unleash, but simply scowled in frustration. There was no point in questioning her any further, seeing how once she pulled the 'I'm awesome' explanation, there was no getting anything else out.

"Since you have the ring, give it to the Boxing Idiot!" He ordered fiercely.

"You do it." Yuri's stubbornness and defiance bumped in, glaring at the older boy in front of her.

Gokudera scoffed. "Fine. Give me the Ring." He watched as Yuri threw the Ring, before catching it easily.

After Ryohei was poison-less, Gokudera left Lambo in his care and was about to leave before Ryohei interjected. "I want to help out Lussuria as well."

"Yeah!" Yuri supplied cheerfully. "Help Lussuria-san too!"

Gokudera scowled and agreed reluctantly, saying how Tsuna would do the same.

Really, Yuri inwardly scoffed, Gokudera saw Tsuna as a God or something.

"_Oh my Buddha! Mukuro save me from this utter boredom!" _Yuri cried mentally, unlocking the mental link.

Her head felt instantly heavier, as if something was added into her cranium. _**"We haven't spoken through this link in a while. Why is that?"**_

Yuri swore she could feel the fake-playful smile of his. _"That's because I got the feeling that when you were bored, you could freely search throughout my head and find unpleasant memories. That, and I have very disturbing thoughts." _She inwardly chuckled.

Mukuro's smile faltered. _**"I always knew you were a perverted old man in disguise."**_

"_I have been told that a lot," _she admitted. _"I thought you should know, by the way, Chrome is getting raped."_

This was met with silence.

"_You do realize that I'm kidding, right? But it certainly looks like rape, or something along the lines of that…"_

"_**I trust you enough to know that if something like that would happen, you wouldn't stand by idly and let it go on."**_

This shocked her. _"You trust me?"_

"_**Somewhat."**_

"_Ah. But, you should have noticed by now that I'm slowly leaving her."_

"_**Yes… I have. I should hope that you have a good reason?"**_

"_Yeah, I do - I think. Later on, when we get transported to the Future, don't ask about that." _Yuri cut him off before Mukuro could even utter a sound. _"Yeah, well, Chrome will lock herself within her room, refusing to eat. And then, Haru and Kyoko," _she tried her hardest not to hiss her name, _"befriend Chrome and she eventually comes out of shell."_

She paused to let the words sink in. _"Though I despise the fact that Chrome will turn weak later on, as opposed to how strong - but closed off - she is now, Chrome would be happier if she is friends with Haru and Kyoko. She needs more feminine and less abnormal friends after all."_

"_**That's strangely noble of you." **_Mukuro was stunned. Would wonders never cease? _**"But don't you feel upset in losing her?"**_

Yuri smiled sadly. _"No, it's my choice. Besides, when I say it like that, it sounds all selfless and decent, but in actuality, I really don't like how Chrome will turn out in the end. From the episodes I've seen thus far, Chrome will transform into this girly, weak person. I hate girls who are useless and stereotypical."_

"_**I've seen that," **_Mukuro deadpanned. _**"I'm surprised to see you use such lengthy words."**_

Yuri snorted. _"Yeah. I get like this whenever I'm irritated, or as Nikoru likes to call it: "Inner Yuri". How did you like your birthday present?"_

Mukuro noticed the deliberation in change of topics, so he played along. _**"You mean the pineapple cake?"**_

"_No, that's not a present. It's a cake, duh." _She shook her head in disbelief.

"_**Yes, I've noticed," **_Mukuro noted dryly. _**"The album was nice." **_He allowed, remembering the photo album which contained all sorts of pictures, from when Yuri was taken as a 'hostage', she spent her time at Kokuyo with the trio, and even when Ken thought it would be fun to run around taking pictures of anything.

"_How come you're not answering Chrome?" _Yuri asked, recalling the bit where Chrome was requesting Mukuro to answer her.

"_**I'm talking to you. I can't talk to two people simultaneously." **_

"_Yes you can. It's called 'multitasking'."_

Yuri could visualize the jerk of Mukuro's hand as he fought the urge to hit her with his trident.

"_Shouldn't you be calling Lancia right now?" _Yuri observed from afar as the explosions and bright orange flames ceased, signalling that the fight was close to its end.

"_**Ah, yes. Arriverdecci." **_

"_Bye-bii~" _Shit, she was talking like Belphegor now. Next thing she knows, she'll be laughing like him too. Yuri shuddered and remembered to lock the link, so that Mukuro couldn't invade throughout her complex mind. "Though Bel's laugh is pretty awesome…"

oOoOo

"Lancia! Long time no see!" Yuri exclaimed happily and slapped him on the back.

Lancia lurched forward slightly from the impact which caused the kids that were practically glued onto him to sway.

Yuri observed the predicament Lancia was in. Even though he had a scary-looking - well not to Yuri, she thought it was funny - face, kids were attracted to him. Hmm, Yuri wondered if he was an unintentional pedophile.

Fuuta was hugging one of Lancia's shoulders, giggling childishly all the while. Lambo was playing with his tattooed-face, pinching his cheeks and doing other various things. I-pin was swinging on Lancia's navy-blue tie, crying excitedly as she swayed to and fro.

"Ah, it's you." The Strongest Man in Northern Italy nodded his head curtly. The words came out funny as Lambo pulled the ends of Lancia's mouth.

Yuri frowned. "You forgot my name, didn't you?"

Fortunately, Lancia didn't get a chance to answer - lie his way out of it - as Tsuna screeched, announcing his presence.

The girl gave up and went up to Tsuna's room in which she found Nikoru sitting and playing with her iPod. She closed the door and plopped down next to her friend on Tsuna's comfortable bed.

"Watching KHR?" she inquired, peering over Nikoru's shoulder.

"Yeah," Nikoru placed the device away and turned to Yuri. "I didn't see you after you left the tree, what were you doing?" She was slightly worried, but also curious.

"Talking to my second best friend," she answered simply and didn't bother to explain.

"I see." She didn't. "Are you excited? We're going to the future soon!" Nikoru clapped both hands on either side of her head, gazing at the ceiling with a dreamy look.

Yuri swore she could see her eyes sparkling. "I guess…"

Nikoru was disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm. "What's wrong?"

Yuri looked away, scowling. "The thought of spending so many weeks alone with those brats pisses me off."

"Oh yeah, we can't go out unless you want to get captured by the Millefiore."

Yuri perked up once those words escaped Nikoru's lips. "So you're saying that I should purposely get myself kidnapped, and then I'll be brought to Merone Base where I can see Shoichi!"

Nikoru was about to interject and tell her friend that it would be a bad idea, but seeing the way Yuri's face lit up, she relented.

"And Shoichi is a good-guy, so he won't do anything disastrous." Yuri nodded at the end of her speech. She broke into a grin and began plotting a way to get herself captured inconspicuously.

"Do you really find them that annoying?" Nikoru asked. That question had been playing on her mind for a while now.

"Truthfully, yes. I'm also getting kind of sick of KHR too…" she confessed honestly and a tad bit reluctantly.

Nikoru's eyes bulged, her mouth hung agape. "Seriously?"

Yuri nodded, eying Nikoru with slight apprehension. "Maybe it's because I'm living the anime and see the main - and incredibly thick - characters every minute, which is why I'm distancing myself from them by moving into my own apartment and transferring schools."

"You're moving?" Nikoru wasn't ready for the sudden admission. "When? To where?"

"Well, I was offered a scholarship for English Literacy - obviously - by Tensai Academy. Don't worry," Yuri added hastily at the startled face Nikoru made, "it's not far from Nami-chuu. I've also bought an apartment situated between both schools, so it's really convenient."

Nikoru bit her lip. "Well…if it makes you happy, then I'm happy." She smiled as if to emphasize her statement.

Yuri grinned. "Thanks."

"So how did you get the scholarship?"

"It's a long story, but I suppose we have time." She smiled warmly as she reminisced the turn of events. "It was when I was skipping school during the whole Ring Conflict. I didn't wear the Nami-chuu uniform since it would be kind of obvious…"

Yuri walked at a moderate pace, yawning here and there. She was currently on her way to Irie Shoichi's Middle school, otherwise known as Tensai Gakuen. As the name stated, the school was for students who were brilliant and incredibly ingenious, there were rumors that even prodigies went there.

Yuri snorted. Rumors. Why did people even believe 'rumors'? Most of them were simple lies passed onto someone else who either misheard or purposely twisted them and turned them into something far from the truth.

Suffice to say, Kuraihana Yuri tended to not believe in rumors. Who knows, the kids at Megane-chan's school could possibly normal kids, albeit slightly smarter than the sheep that believed ridiculously without any solid proof to back it up.

She stopped at the gates and took in the full view of the school. It was your ordinary Japanese Middle school. If Yuri didn't know any better, she would have thought that she wandered up to Namimori Middle instead. Maybe the builders constructed both schools with the same outline and structure, either that or Yuri was too tired to see things properly.

Yuri was startled out of her assumptions when the tapping of footsteps grew louder and louder. Peering in front of her, Yuri saw a man wearing a neat suit stride towards her.

What to do now? Yuri mulled over her options. The man didn't seem to be the strict type, especially the welcoming smile on his face. Yuri took in his graying-hairs and the rectangular, thin glasses he wore. Including the suit, the man practically screamed in bold letters: I am the Principal.

Yuri decided that she might as well stay where she was now. The worst thing he would do was call the police. If he did then she could just tell them that she was part of Nami-chuu's Disciplinary Committee. Even if she didn't exactly have any proof, they would be too busy shaking in fear to notice. Ah, the benefits of having a link with the ever-feared Disciplinary Committee and personally knowing the cold-blooded head prefect help too.

It was no wonder why Hibari instantly had the town dancing in the palm of his hand, he simply demonstrated the power he had and the sheep instantly backed away in fear. Three quarters of the sheep were ruled by fear, the rest either joined him or fool-heartedly challenged him.

"Who are you?" The man inquired, amused.

Yuri was instantaneously reminded of Albus Dumbledore. "Ah…" She began groggily. "Kuraihana Yuri." She glanced up at him through droopy eyelids. "And you?"

The man chuckled heartily. Hmm, now he reminded her of Santa Claus. "I'm the Principal here. My name is Sakobayu Irami." He gave a small bow of his head.

"I see." She tilted her head as a bow.

"Hmm," Irami hummed as he surveyed her face. His hands, which were clasped together behind his back before, were now rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Aren't you meant to be in school, young lady?" His tone wasn't reproving, but intrigued.

"I guess." She shrugged noncommittally. "But I'm in the mood to see the sheep- I mean, students."

He chuckled at her slip-up. "Is that so? How would you like to enroll here in Tensai Gakuen, then?"

Yuri perked up at the offer. Her eyes snapped open in shock. "Really?" She asked eagerly.

"Mm-hm," he nodded seriously, hands behind his back once again. "Take a few tests and we'll see if we can get you a scholarship." He began walking towards to building and gestured for Yuri to follow.

Obediently, she rushed forward and fell in step with the jovial man. How lucky! She inwardly cheered. Now she could see Megane-chan all day, that is, if she begged Ira-Ira-sensei to be in the same class as him. Class 1-A, she believed if her memory served correctly.

"Do you have any particular subject you enjoy?" Irami questioned as he gazed down to his left where Yuri was positioned.

She bit the inside of her cheek before replying. "Yep! English Literacy."

"Are you talented in that area?"

"Of course," she answered truthfully, not embarrassed at all.

He chuckled at her bluntness. "Then we'll give you an extra exam to see if you can get a scholarship." He smiled reassuringly.

Yuri grinned. She was excited. No more sheep, and more of Shoichi. Now, how to explain to the others that she was leaving… Ah, who cared, because right now, she was too happy to let anything dampen her good mood.

"…and so I passed the English bit with flying colours!" Yuri finished with a grin. The girls were currently at Yamamoto's Sushi Restaurant, celebrating what was apparently the victory of the 'sumo contest'.

Nikoru nodded. "But why are you so eager to go to Tensai Gakuen? I understand the 'sheep' bit, but that's not the only thing, is it?"

Yuri grinned nervously. She purposely left out the bit about Irie going to the same school, because - truthfully - Yuri didn't want anyone to find out about that certain bit of information. "You'll find out soon enough." She evaded.

Nikoru was a bit disgruntled at the elusive answer but stood down. She sighed heavily. "Alright."

oOoOo

Irie Shoichi sighed heavily as he shuffled over to the door. Before closing the door firmly, he bade his farewell.

The redhead stood there for a moment, lost in thought. Recently, he found out that his new friend not only enrolled in the same school as him, but she was also placed in the same class too. Irie was happy that he saw her often but she tended to tire him out quite a bit.

Irie realized that he hadn't moved an inch; his hand was still on the knob of the door to his apartment. He shook his head to clear all thoughts and turned, heading to school.

"Megane-chan!" A voice behind cried brightly.

Wow, that was strange. Irie continued walking, was he hearing things? Suddenly, the air was knocked out of him as he felt extra weight leaning on his back.

Startled, Irie moved his head slightly to see the perpetrator.

"Jeez, Shoichi, I called you and you blithely ignored me." The person hugging him complained, voice muffled by his jacket.

"Yuri-san?" Irie shouted, alarmed. He was used to calling her by her first name, at her insistance.

He watched as Yuri unlatched herself from his body, causing him to blush as he realized how it would look if anyone saw them. Irie craned his head left and right to see if anyone _had_ seen them. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that there was no one else but the two of them.

Yuri grinned. "Who knew that the apartment I now own is right next to yours."

Irie Shoichi managed to look aghast before hitting the ground.

"Ah, you fainted," Yuri stated, not fazed in the least. She huffed tiredly. "Now I have to carry you to school, honestly." Without any hesitation, Yuri promptly lifted him up and carried him piggy-back style.

Whilst the duo made their way to school, Irie Chiko smiled and giggled. "Sho-chan has a girlfriend~" she sang as she watched her son being carried away by the incredibly strong girl that hugged him prior.

* * *

**Author rants: **If you haven't guessed, Irie Chiko is the mother of Irie Shoichi… duh. LOLOL. Yeah, I made her name up, but they never say what it is… D:

**Another note:** I'm currently re-writing the first few chapters and they are better than before! So if I update late, sorry, but you can busy yourself with the chapters I re-wrote! It's quite different - and far better - than before. :D

_Published date: _23-08-10


	16. Enter: The Future

Chapter 16

_Enter: The Future_

"Shoichi, what's wrong? You seem jumpy."

Yuri peered at Irie closely. He honestly did seem quite agitated. When she spoke to him, he would start and look around wildly, after seeing who spoke to him, he would immediately calm down. Strange.

Though, Yuri thought, he does have a good reason for being so alert. After all, a few days ago, Nikoru informed her that Reborn had gone 'missing'. Yuri let out a small sigh. Poor Shoichi, she sympathized, she felt bad for him since he was carrying such a heavy burden, all because of that note his Future Self left about his crush…

"Eh? Do I? I'm sure it's nothing, don't worry, Yuri-san," Irie assured her, forcing a smile.

Yuri sighed once more. "Okay."

They both walked in what was meant to be a comfortable silence, but Irie was too lost in thought and still had his guard up so Yuri was the only person comfortable.

The duo finally reached the bustling streets of Namimori. Yuri had insisted that the two go out and shopping today since it was her birthday and all her friends had mysteriously disappeared. Needless to say, when she mentioned her friends were missing, Irie immediately started and agreed.

Yuri was disgruntled at how worried Irie was. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault and that it was for the greater good, no matter what other people (Tsuna) say.

A sudden idea came to Yuri. She smirked and took a hold of Irie's hand, he didn't pull back since he was lost in thought and hadn't really registered the fact that he was holding hands with Yuri. She led him to an empty bench conveniently placed under a large tree, secluded from any wandering bypassing individuals.

She sat down and pulled Irie to sit down next to her. Even though he was being dragged everywhere like a doll, Irie didn't register any changes. Yuri, annoyed by his obliviousness, pulled both of her hands back and slapped him on either cheek at the same time.

If the pain didn't snap him out of his thoughts, then the loud whack did. Irie blinked, then, slowly, he brought both hands to either cheek and rubbed gingerly. "Yuri-san, why did you slap me?"

Yuri rolled her eyes impatiently and folded her arms across her chest. She adjusted herself so she was now facing him. "Because, once again, you were blithely ignoring me. Now, are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or am I not trustworthy enough?"

Irie sensed the slightly hurt undertone betraying her bossy demeanour. "N-No," he removed his hands from his face and waved it as a placating gesture. "It's just… I'm not allowed to tell you. I would like to, but…" He looked away, ashamed.

Yuri's eyes softened and her tough expression was replaced by one of worry. "I know…" she whispered. Yuri bit her lip tentatively, debating whether it was a good idea to tell him what she was going to say next.

She took a deep breath. "It's because of that note from your Future self, isn't it?"

Irie's eyes bulged. "H-How?" he managed to choke out.

"I found the note on your bed. And don't ask what I was doing in your apartment, let alone your room." Truth was, Yuri went over to his home one day and knocked. Hearing no one reply, she broke in through the window and coincidentally entered Irie's room where the note laid.

Irie nodded slowly. He suddenly realized something. Yuri had read the note…which meant she knew who he had a crush on. Oh God.

"And I know you're planning to send me to the Future too." She smiled reassuringly. "I won't hold it against you. And anyone who does," her smile became a little predatory and Irie couldn't help but shudder and the sudden ferocity, "I'll give them an earful."

Irie wondered what else she would do than just give them an 'earful'.

"So when are you sending to the Future? Today?" she asked excitedly, for reasons Irie couldn't comprehend.

"Uh, yes, actually." The redhead was momentarily taken aback at the positive aura she was excreting.

At Irie's curt nod, Yuri bounced off of the bench. Her head jerked back as realization seeped through her thick head. "Naru-chan!" she called, causing Irie to eye her strangely.

Soon enough, a yellow fluffy bird descended from the sky and landed loyally on Yuri's head.

"Ne, Shoichi," Yuri began, uncharacteristically embarrassed.

Irie was busy getting one of the 10-Year Bazooka ammunitions from who-knows-where. "Yes?"

"Uh," she stumbled. "You know that note about your crush…"

Irie almost dropped the ammunition and looked away abashedly. He was suddenly enveloped into a hug by Yuri.

"I like you too," she beamed, but before she could do anything else, Irie dropped the ammunition shell and Yuri was instantly transported nine years and ten months into the future.

As the oddly-coloured smoke dissipated, Yuri growled. "Yeah, that's right; send me right after I confess," she huffed angrily. "Now, where am I?" Once Yuri got a good view of things, she felt like punching herself in the head. Repeatedly.

Kuraihana Yuri's life pretty much sucked right now.

oOoOo

Shirobara Nikoru was thrilled. Nikoru was taking a stroll in Namimori during the night. She was wearing her usual outfit; jeans, converse sneakers and hooded-jacket. Nikoru was getting some fresh air, when suddenly the 10-Year Bazooka flew in her direction. She managed to grin before being sent to the Future.

Fortunately, she kept her balance and managed not to fall on her rear. As she stood, waiting patiently for the pink smoke to lift, she registered a few familiar items on the ground placed conveniently by her feet.

Nikoru's eyes glimmered with delight and a tinge of astonishment as she smiled. She bent down and picked the two small cubes up gingerly. She looked around before deciding that no one had noticed her quite yet, after all, it wouldn't do to be captured by the Millefiore so quickly - Yuri would kill Nikoru if she stole her plan.

Nikoru inspected the boxes curiously. One box was white and had the vine of a rose wrapped around it. The flower covered the hole where the ring was supposed to be placed into. Nikoru was careful when handling the Rose Box, just in case one of the thorns would prick her skin and draw blood.

She shuddered at the thought of blood. Even though it would only be a single drop and she wouldn't faint from it, Nikoru was still quite wary of the red liquid, something that she cursed herself for.

Nikoru shook her head to clear her thoughts and moved onto the next Box. The second Box was white also. However, this time it was decorated with black stripes that reminded Nikoru of a tiger.

Nikoru gasped as realization slammed into her. Blue! Where was he? Nikoru hastily felt around her jacket for any small furry creature. Her shoulders slumped in resignation as understanding was forced onto her. Blue was back in the Past, left sleeping where Nikoru left her.

On the bright side, at least TYL!Blue was here with her now! She beamed happily, her Inner fangirl squealing inside her mind. She couldn't wait to meet the Ten Year Later versions of everyone. She especially couldn't wait to see Yuri once.

"Ouch."

Nikoru flinched. Was that Kyoko's voice? Why did it sound so close? It couldn't be… could it? Was she sent to the Future where Nosaru and Tazaru attack?

"Nikoru-chan?"

Nikoru did a double take as she gazed at the Future version of Kyoko. She and Kyoko were in the same warehouse the same time? That must mean that TYL!Nikoru was helping TYL!I-pin and TYL!Lambo rescue TYL!Haru and TYL!Kyoko from the incoming Black Spell.

"Nikoru-chan, thank you for helping me." TYL!Kyoko smiled sweetly, making Nikoru wonder why Yuri had inhabited such a deep dislike of the innocent girl. "Hmm?" TYL!Kyoko blinked questioningly. "You seem different… Nikoru-chan, when did you grow your hair back out? I never noticed."

"Umm," Nikoru stammered in response. Her Future self had cut her hair? Interesting. "Ah, yes. These are just extensions until it grows back out," she waved her hands dismissively, smiling.

"I see," TYL!Kyoko giggled softly, she then winced.

Nikoru noticed the way TYL!Kyoko rubbed her ankle tenderly, she had sprained her ankle. Nikoru began looking for Blue, knowing that she would never go into battle without him. Finally, she caught glimpse of a large striped-body buried under rubble.

"Blue!" she exclaimed, relieved. What was he even doing under the rubble?

Blue's sensitive ears twitched towards the voice of his partner. Purring slightly, he galloped towards her. Paws slammed onto the earth, causing a thundering sound to travel with him wherever he went. Blue happily licked Nikoru's face, covering it with slobber.

Using the sleeve of her jacket to wipe the saliva away, Nikoru grinned. "Blue, first-aid kit?"

Blue paused, as if trying to recall where he placed the kit, and walked several steps to the left. Once he returned, he unhinged his jaw, and waited patiently for his partner to retrieve the box.

Used to the large canines, Nikoru grabbed the kit out and began working on TYL!Kyoko's ankle.

"Thank you, Nikoru-chan," TYL!Kyoko smiled in gratitude.

Nikoru smiled while keeping her eyes on the sprain, careful not to accidentally tighten the bandages too much.

"Kyoko-chan!" A sobbing voice made both girls look up. Fortunately, Nikoru was already done with the bandaging so she walked several steps away and waited for Tsuna to arrive.

Both girls blinked as a teary-eyed Tsuna stumbled in. Tsuna turned away and wiped away the tears protruding from his doe-like orbs.

"Tsuna-kun," Nikoru began, fighting an amused grin, "you're lucky Yuri isn't here, or she'll never let the fact, that you're crying, down."

Tsuna blanched at the truth in her words, but his attention was immediately directed towards TYL!Kyoko.

After TYL!Kyoko had explained to Tsuna that she had a sprained ankle, but was otherwise fine, Tazaru took this time to make his suspenseful entrance.

Tsuna stepped in front of TYL!Kyoko, acting as a shield from Tazaru. Nikoru smiled at Tsuna's courage. Even though he was scared himself, Tsuna would go to many lengths to keep Kyoko - Past and Future - from being hurt. Tsuna was shaking noticeably as he gripped his mittens and Dying Will Pills.

Nikoru could do nothing but watch agitatedly. She wanted so badly to help Tsuna fight, but knew she couldn't do anything but get in his way, especially when she had to hide the fact that she had a Ring and Boxes.

As Tazaru drew his scythe into a wide arc, pink smoke filled the air. Nikoru frowned lightly. Was there any point in bandaging TYL!Kyoko's ankle if she was going to disappear moments later? Then again, it did help relieve the pain somewhat.

Now, to sit by the sidelines and witness the battle first hand…

oOoOo

"Tenth, forgive me! I have failed you!"

An almost imperceptible twitch made its way to Nikoru's eye. She was currently watching over a wounded Tsuna accompanied by Gokudera.

"Gokudera-san, please lower your voice," she said gently with a smile. "Your yelling won't help Tsuna-kun, it will make him more restless," she added. Okay, maybe she was laying it on a little too thick, but he wouldn't listen otherwise! Besides, his yelling _wasn't_ helping anyone. At all.

Gokudera looked ready to protest but relented after figuring his yelling might cause Tsuna some agitation. Instead, he settled for an infuriated murmur. "That damned bearded bastard."

Nikoru's smiled sympathetically. If only they knew.

The rustling of blankets could be heard as Tsuna lurched forward in the bed. Frightened, he immediately interrogated Gokudera, wanting to know where he was and what had happened.

Happy that Tsuna had regained consciousness, Nikoru slipped towards the door, deciding to head towards the kitchen. She needed a snack. And hearing a purr from the small tiger seated on her shoulder, Nikoru deduced that Blue was also hungry.

She had only taken several steps when the door was suddenly slammed open and a sobbing Haru stood, shaking.

Nikoru sidestepped out of the girl's way. She thanked her reflexes as Haru ran towards Tsuna, brushing against Nikoru slightly.

Haru was soon joined by Kyoko. Though remained reserved, she still looked a little jumpy.

The air became heavy and suffocating, making Nikoru wish that Yuri was here to break the tension. But then, Yuri would probably make things worse seeing how the atmosphere was too intense. Nikoru offered an encouraging smile to the emotional girls.

"Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan, don't worry. We **will **return back to our own time. I promise." Her words were wrapped with confidence, making the two girls flinch slightly at the heavy guarantee. "Besides," Nikoru added on a lighter note, "you have to look at upsides about traveling to the future. Like having knowledge everyone else won't know!" Yeah, Nikoru had little imagination.

The girls calmed down somewhat, Nikoru noted thankfully. Maybe it was good thing after all that Yuri hadn't arrived to the Future quite yet. If she did, then she would snort or sneer in disgust at how emotional they were.

Speaking of Yuri, when _was_ she going to appear?

oOoOo

Nikoru politely declined Haru and Kyoko's offer of helping them cook. Yuri would go mad if she discovered that her 'precious Nikoru' had transformed into a Mary Sue. Nikoru shuddered, at the thought of turning into a Sue, and the thought of Yuri heating up with anger.

Nikoru was currently in one of the spare rooms the base held. As she laid down on one of the bunk beds, she went over the news she learned several moments ago.

For starters, her Future self had lived a double life. That hadn't surprised Nikoru much. It was her duty to remain incognito when it came to the Mafia. What had surprised her was the fact that her Future self was a _vet_. Not that it was a bad thing; it was just that she knew being a vet was Yuri's dream job. When she voiced her astonishment aloud, Reborn and the others turned solemn.

According to her former shishou, Yuri had betrayed the Vongola and joined the Millefiore. Either than the slight widening of her eyes, Nikoru displayed no other expression. What Nikoru wanted to know, though, was what TYL!Yuri was thinking in joining the Millefiore and making everyone believe that she was a backstabber.

Then again, Nikoru decided that she would rather not know. In the end, Yuri was always a complete mystery. It appeared that after ten years, she remained the same person on the inside. That prospect made Nikoru smile nostalgically.

The other thing that she had learned was that Giannini had made it so that Blue could be easily stored within a Box, if the owner wished so. However, Blue remained a living, breathing animal like the other Box Animals, but he wasn't dependent on Flames like the others.

Even though no one other than Yuri, Reborn, and herself knew of the Moon Guardians - you could count Primo and Majo, but Primo was deceased and Majo wasn't meant to exist - the rest of the Family knew that she possessed a Ring, though not specifically which Ring, and had two Boxes.

The black and white Box was used to contain Blue, whereas no one was sure what the Rose Box's purpose was. Nikoru concluded that her Future self figured it would be best to keep it a secret from the others, that or she never had a chance to use it.

Nikoru was broken out of her thoughts when Reborn appeared on the desk shoved in to one of the walls on the other side of the room.

"Nikoru," he began, abandoning his childish façade of a toddler, "I'm assuming you knew this was going to happen, and what will happen?"

Nikoru bit her lip hesitantly. "Yes. I will not interfere noticeably, or else the plot will spin out of control and my knowledge will be useless." There was that, Nikoru added mentally, and Yuri had practically drilled this promise into her cranium repeatedly, making sure that Nikoru wouldn't think rashly.

Reborn inclined his head minimally, signalling it as a curt nod. He was relieved to some extent, though that was immediately squashed by a more sensible part of his mind.

As he stood inside the medium-sized room, Reborn reflected on Nikoru's reactions once she heard of Future Yuri's predicament. As the words left Lal Milch's lips, Reborn instantly studied Nikoru for any change in expression.

He expected the girl to instantaneously deny it, stating that Yuri was good and would never willingly betray them; they were friends for quite a while after all. But she simply widened her eyes, showing no other emotion.

Reborn peered into Nikoru's orbs and witnessed various emotions. There was shock, then disbelief, realization, and - finally - understanding. This left Reborn quite bemused. How could one understand their friend's betrayal without a single ounce of denial or rejection? That was when Reborn remembered: Yuri and Nikoru already knew of every nook and cranny of this world.

This led to a new problem. Why did Yuri join the Millefiore? It didn't make sense to the Arcobaleno. He rubbed at his temples and shoved all thoughts about the betrayal away, it was too complicated to solve. Reborn never liked puzzles. His extremely short patience probably fueled his dislike of riddles too. Reborn just wanted answers given to him, but in the world of Mafioso, you _had_ to survive by yourself, and that included scavenging for answers on your own too.

Sensing Reborn's agitation, Nikoru decided to make something up that would prove how traitorous she was. "Reborn-san, when I was told that Yuri was a traitor… I wasn't surprised in the least," she admitted.

Reborn looked up at her, interested and a tad suspicious.

"Well," she began, squashing down her uneasiness, "Yuri always found Tsuna-kun and the others as 'annoying' or 'childish', which explains why she went through all the trouble to move to another school and even another apartment. I'm guessing that after ten years, her annoyance grew into hatred and she finally had enough," she whispered the last few words, secretly fearing if it was actually true. It _was_ something Yuri would do…

Reborn's eyes narrowed marginally. "I see." He nodded in gratitude and walked out, his initial confusion shattered and replaced with cold anger. Maybe he should have noticed the way she was slowly distancing herself from the others. Or maybe her choice was affected by the certain circumstances in this Future. Whatever it was, Reborn would get answers out of her, whether it be her Future self or her Past self.

Nikoru swallowed, clenching her knuckles until they turned white. She felt horribly guilty for stabbing Yuri in the back. Unsure of what to do now, Nikoru flicked the lights off and crept under her blankets, welcoming sleep with open arms.

oOoOo

Nikoru couldn't remain gloomy forever, and in between spending time with Tsuna and company, as well as training, it was hard _not_ to enjoy herself. Though with the gloomy aura Kyoko was excreting, maybe it was a bit difficult.

"Kyoko-chan?" Nikoru asked worriedly while washing the dishes. She knew Yuri would disapprove, but she wasn't here anyway and she would hopefully never find out. Besides, Nikoru had to find some way to pull her weight around here. She wasn't a freeloader like a certain friend of hers…

"Ah, yes?" Kyoko jumped a bit, nearly causing her to drop the knife she was drying.

"Maybe we should take a break," Nikoru suggested. She didn't want an accident occurring especially with how overprotective Tsuna was being.

Kyoko nodded and made some tea before sitting at the large dining table.

They sat in silence for a while, sipping their warm drinks calmly. Nikoru pondered over why Kyoko would be feeling so depressed. Her mind flicked through various scenarios. After recalling what occurred in a certain episode, Nikoru fought a reproving frown.

Kyoko shifted uncomfortably under Nikoru's studious gaze.

"Ne, Kyoko-chan," Nikoru began in a light tone, "you seem upset. Why?"

Kyoko knitted her brows together in a frown. Nikoru was so observant, Kyoko supposed that it wouldn't hurt to explain her difficulties with someone who didn't seem to mind the fact that they were sent to a troubling future. "Umm," she hesitated. "I-It's Oniichan."

Nikoru already knew, and was thankful she didn't hone any resentment towards the innocent girl like Yuri did. "Ah," she acknowledged. "You're worried that he might be in trouble," she translated.

Kyoko nodded shyly. "The Future seems so dangerous, and if it was anything like Tsuna-kun saved me from, then Oniichan must be in more danger." She paused and sipped at her drink, letting the warmth wash throughout her body. "Back in the past, he was getting into fights, and now, since the future looks dangerous, I'm afraid that he might be seriously hurt."

Nikoru gazed meaningfully at her half-empty cup. Kyoko seemed entirely pure-hearted and gentle, so why had Yuri despised her again? Oh yeah, because Kyoko seemed a bit too perfect.

That made sense, Nikoru inwardly agreed. Yuri never liked 'Sues'. But didn't Nikoru appear perfect on the outside too? Yuri had stated so on many occasions. Then again, Yuri also pointed Nikoru's faults seventy percent of the time they spent together.

Fault number one. Nikoru was a pushover. She was _too_ kind-hearted and too forgiving. Whenever someone wronged her, she wouldn't do anything about it and take it without fighting back.

Fault number two. Nikoru had an inferiority-complex, whatever that meant. When she asked Yuri, her friend simply told her that Nikoru subconsciously wanted to prove to everyone - and mostly herself - that she wasn't someone weak. Yuri also noted that it was just like how Sakura felt when she requested training from Tsunade.

Well, Nikoru deliberated, it was somewhat true. She was pushing herself a bit when training, but only because she didn't want to pose as dead weight; a burden. Damn it, she hated it when Yuri became all sage-like.

Fault number three. She was incredibly slow when it came to realizing and understanding things. One example was when it took her several months to figure out why Ken called Hibari a 'duck'. The only reason she found out was because Yuri took the time to explain to her that Hibari meant skylark and that skylarks and ducks were birds. Yuri then immediately called Nikoru an idiot.

Nikoru seemed perfect on the exterior, but on the interior, she was quite strange.

"You believe in Ryohei-san, right? You acknowledge his immense strength, right?" Nikoru asked. When she received hasty nods of affirmation, she smiled. "Then you should know by now that he isn't foolish or weak enough to be defeated easily." She paused. "Well, not in the Future, that is."

Kyoko still looked worried, but Nikoru's words assured her to some extent. After she had expressed her fervent gratitude, she watched Nikoru grin and walk away. She secretly felt guilty for her secret plan to exit the base and visit her house, but it was over-weighed by her impending worry. She was direly concerned over her brother's safety, conveniently forgetting the fact that he was now a 25-year-old man scarred by the mafia and she was an innocent, oblivious 14-year-old.

On the way back to the underground training rooms, Nikoru ran into Kusakabe. She was stunned into a small silence before composing herself and soon ran over and greeted the man.

"Kusakabe-san!" Nikoru beamed.

Kusakabe's lips split into a smile. "Shirobara, nice to see you."

Nikoru tilted her head to side inquisitively. "Hmm," she hummed as her eyes scanned him up and down. "You were sent to the future too?" Her eyebrows creased together into a puzzling frown.

"Uh, no. This is my Future self," he assured with a slightly befuddled smile.

"Oh…" Nikoru mumbled. She smiled embarrassingly. "Well, see you!" with that, she strolled merrily to the elevator, leaving a slightly bemused Kusakabe in her wake. After all, Nikoru couldn't tell him that she thought he was from the past because his appearance didn't change a bit.

She was still smiling as she waited for the elevator to descend to her level, subconsciously rubbing her disguised Ring with her thumb. Progress with her Box Weapons were coming along finely, Nikoru was on the brink of opening the Rose Box that seemed to be shut firmly.

As the elevator dinged, and Nikoru took a step forward, she noticed a presence behind her. Turning around swiftly, her frazzled nerves relaxed at the sight of a fedora-wearing toddler.

"Reborn-san?" Nikoru inquired, confused. "What's wrong?"

Reborn gazed at her, his infamous smirk missing from his chubby face. "Tsuna and the others have returned, bringing Hibari and Kusakabe with them."

"Yes, I met Kusakabe on my way," she nodded, not really sure where this was leading.

"Yamamoto and Gokudera were seriously injured during the fight with Lightning Gamma. They need healing."

Now Nikoru knew why he was here. A light dawned in her orbs as she grimaced lightly. "Can't either Kyoko-chan or Haru-chan do that? I need to work on my training." Either than herself and Reborn, no one else knew of Nikoru's secret - well, not really - training. There was no need in informing people who didn't really have a need to know in the first place.

Reborn contained a prideful smirk. Nikoru was standing up on her own, though Reborn would have preferred that she chose another time to do so, not when two Guardians were critically injured. "That's reasonable. Good luck." Reborn trotted away.

When he first came to Nikoru, he expected her to agree without hesitation, maybe the trip to Future matured her as well. Or maybe the fact that Nikoru couldn't be overshadowed by Yuri helped. Whether it be the former or the latter, Reborn was pleased nonetheless with his pupil's change.

Nikoru released the breath she didn't know she was holding and stepped inside the elevator. Maybe Yuri was right, Nikoru did want to prove something. Was that why she was training so hard? Most likely. But she couldn't even light her Ring yet. What she needed to light it was resolution, but what was her resolve? Why did she want to fight?

'To prove something' would be too selfish. She needed something that linked back to her duties as the White Moon Guardian. Was it her or did the White Moon Guardian's duties sound a lot like the Lightning Guardians? And didn't the Dark Moon sound like Cloud and Storm's? Then again, **Majo** was the one who created the Rings…

Her resolve… Nikoru bit her lip and entered the training room distractedly. Her duty was to protect everyone in the Family, but to do it in a secretive way. So, her resolve should be to protect everyone and fight back in order to defend? Nikoru shrugged noncommittally, she might as well try.

Concentrating deeply, Nikoru reflected on all the times when she did nothing but stood by and patched people up. There was: Tsuna's fight with Mukuro, Yuri's fight and Squalo, Yuri and the Yakuza, the Sky Battle, and finally, Tsuna's fight against Tazaru.

"Open Box." Nikoru brought her ring-clad hand to the Rose Box. She motioned it so the no-longer-disguised Ring was now hovering over the white rose. The rose perked up slightly and slithered away, as if it were alive and a snake.

Slightly befuddled at the weird actions of her Box, Nikoru inserted the Ring with white, gentle flames into the hole. The flaps immediately shot open and Nikoru gaped at the object that instantly formed in her hand.

"You're so dead, Yuri." Nikoru sighed and used her free hand to rub her temples in a soothing manner. Engraved on the side of Nikoru's new weapon was _'Kuraihana Yuri is AWESOME. Shirobara Nikoru smells. And Mukuro is a paedophilic, pineapple-head~ :D :D'_

Even though Yuri wasn't within a five kilometer radius of Nikoru, she still managed to leave a message that would frustrate Nikoru, because that was how Kuraihana Yuri had fun; by pissing off others.

It was her philosophy, really, her way of life.

* * *

**Author's note: **I apologize for my late updates. TT^TT But if you've read my profile, near the end, there's my list or work and tests, and yeah. Btw, I've also added the links for pictures of Blue - Maximized and Minimized versions. :)


	17. Enter: Merone Base

**Author's rants: **YOSH! I updated (a day) early! This chapter is in celebration for the latest episode: 202. :D

OMFG, finally, a worthwhile episode that isn't pointless...mostly! -cries tears of happiness and relief- But it was soooo melodramatic. I'll still be ranting about it later on, via Yuri's big mouth. xD

Seriously, Yuni finally decides that she's afraid of death JUST THEN? And what the hell was Akira Amano thinking? Making new Rings all of a sudden? She seriously needs to be more organized.

* * *

Chapter 17

_Enter: Merone Base _

Nikoru sighed deeply as she continued wandering around Merone Base - discretely, of course.

She reviewed everything that had happened so far after she accomplished her training. Her mind instantly directed to Chrome. The poor girl was suffering from malnutrition and was severely injured because of Glo Xinia.

Nikoru wondered why Yuri disliked Mukuro, he did save Chrome multiple times. Or maybe she just liked pretending to hate him and teasing him for fun. What did she call him? Ah, yes: a 'frienemy', a mix between 'friend' and 'enemy'. Yuri was so lame.

TYL!Ryohei also seemed very mature, Nikoru noted absently. He was more reserved and less wild than before. Nikoru hoped that Yuri's Future self would turn out like that too, though it was highly unlikely.

Why was she thinking of Yuri so much? Nikoru deduced that it probably because she was so close to her best friend, now that they were in Merone Base.

Nikoru felt the cold, smooth surface of her Ring. Since TYL!Blue obtained new powers, he could disguise Nikoru's Ring _and _hide it from any radar built specially for locating the vibrations emitting from any Ring. Blue was always full of surprises, making Nikoru question exactly _how_ he became so skillful.

Nikoru fidgeted nervously. Maybe splitting up wasn't such a good idea. Well, technically, Nikoru wandered away purposely…but in her defense, no one could take notice of her Ring just in case she had to fight. Ah, who was she kidding? Nikoru only wanted to check the Base out herself. Besides, when Irie moved the whole Base around, she was coincidentally separated from everyone else, so it provided an excellent excuse.

At first, when Nikoru begged Tsuna to allow her to infiltrate Merone Base with him and the others, he outright refused, saying that it was unsafe. Nikoru clenched her jaw as those words left his mouth. Nikoru wanted to prove that she wasn't weak, that she wasn't useless.

Thankfully, Reborn intervened and forced Tsuna to accept. While Tsuna objected fervently, claiming that she would get hurt, Reborn settled for using tact, pointing out that Nikoru had a random Ring and two Boxes.

"Ah~ The Future Arc is so long!" Now that Nikoru was alone, she was able to display her boisterous side freely. She wasn't always like this, she only did this when Yuri wasn't there to do it and provide comic relief.

Unfortunately, Nikoru's exclamation caught the attention of some wandering White Spell members. They were in full uniform, complete with the mask and all.

"Who are you?" one demanded as he and several others pointed their guns at her.

"Is she Vongola?" another one asked.

"Of course. She's obviously not one of us," the first person spoke up once more.

Nikoru chuckled nervously. "Not good…" Sweat dripped of her forehead. Damn, was she nervous. Nikoru never knew how intense the atmosphere could be like when it came to enemies all focusing on her. "Open Box." Nikoru lit her Ring and inserted it into her Rose Box. She then proceeded to bring out her other Box which stored Blue.

The result was immediate. "Fire!" the one in command ordered. The others followed his lead and soon the air was filled with the sharp staccato noise made by the rifles.

Blue, who now had a white Flame on the tip of his tail, roared fiercely. He lifted a large paw and slammed it down onto the ground with immense strength, gaining momentum before connecting with the tiled floor.

The White Spell combatants hesitated slightly as the vibrations caused by Blue's action shook throughout the corridor. Though they didn't know it, Blue's deed wasn't for distraction only. A paper-thin transparent shield made of white Flames shot up from the ground in between the tiger and the White spell recruits.

Nikoru smiled at her familiar's work. Her eyes easily picked out where the shield was. It appeared that all their training wasn't for naught. If anyone else paid enough attention, they would have noticed the way the air flickered at times, revealing a white, misty substance in the middle of the large hallway.

The Millefiore quickly composed themselves and returned to aiming rapid fires at Nikoru. But they took too long. Nikoru made use of their pause and gripped the item from her Rose Box.

The enemy pointlessly continued to shoot at Nikoru, hoping that it would somehow slip through the barrier protecting her, but the bullets simply fell to the ground with deafening clangs. Nikoru waited until the men ran out of ammunition, ready to strike once the potentially dangerous weapons were useless.

She smiled instantly once the men had abandoned their weapons. The smile sent chills down the spine, especially when such an innocent gesture was accompanied by the lethal scythe in her hand.

Before the men lit their D-rank Rings, Nikoru made use of her ruthless training - operated by Lal Milch during the Ring Conflict all those months ago - and dashed towards the men, aiming at their nerves in various parts of the body.

While Nikoru did want something sharp like a blade, she didn't necessarily want to spill meaningless blood - especially when she herself was quite sensitive to the red substance. Fortunately, she knew every inch of her scythe, which was slightly taller than her, and obviously worked its functions to the limit.

Nikoru retracted the rose-engraved blade into the pole of the scythe, indifferent to the way the too-large blade seemed to sink into nothingness within the thin pole. The pole now resembled a Bō staff, and Nikoru planned to use it as though it was one.

Nikoru used the pole as if it were an extension of her arm. She swept the pole under many of the enemies' knees once she got behind them. Surprised by her speed, the White Spell did nothing but flinch as Nikoru used her weapon to smartly whack their nerves and knock them out.

Nikoru sighed at the simplicity of the so-called 'battle', if it could be called that at all. Oh well, she shrugged as she set off into the direction of the booming noises, maybe she would be able to fight someone stronger, but not too strong, later as she travelled throughout the Base.

She went over the properties of her mysterious weapon while staring at Blue's large body stride in front of her. By interjecting a small amount of Flames into the scythe, the blade would instantly sink into the pole, as though there was an infinite space within the cylindrical rod.

Though she didn't plan to use the sharp blade anytime soon, Nikoru _did_ admire its undeniable beauty. The scythe's blade was white, just like the pole. But the blade seemed to glow brightly, unlike the pole which dulled in comparison.

The blade was engraved with roses, the markings fine and precise. Nikoru possessed little doubt that it if blood was spilt onto the blade, it would be hard to get rid of the blood stuck between the crevices - another reason why she would rather use the rod as a staff than use the sharp edge of the blade.

Nikoru released a quiet frustrated groan as her eyes drifted over her mystifying weapon. Well, it _would_ be classified as such if Yuri didn't somehow magically carve in the words _'Kuraihana Yuri is AWESOME. Shirobara Nikoru smells. And Mukuro is a pedophilic, pineapple-head~ :D :D'. _

Honestly, Nikoru was starting to regret Majo's gift of the magic laptop. Though grateful for the scythe, Nikoru planned to annihilate Yuri once they were reunited.

Of course, that depended on whether Yuri was sent to the Future at an inconvenient time or not. Yuri always was rather unfortunate. For all Nikoru knew, Yuri would probably arrive in the middle of the Choice battle…

oOoOo

Nikoru decided that Irie was a good actor. A _very_ good actor considering the show he was putting on presently. Nikoru idly wondered how convincing Irie seemed as she stared through the glass tube that encased her and several of her allies.

She watched silently as Irie revealed everyone's Rings in the palm of his head, sparkling brightly. At that moment, Nikoru was glad that she placed her Ring on the tip of Blue's tail, who was currently shrunken and hidden in the hood of her jacket.

Nikoru was captured when she accidentally met up with Kusakabe, Hibari, and the others. She had been wandering yet again around Merone Base, straying away from any rooms that made any loud noises indicating battle, and almost got the left side of her body stabbed with the needles of Hibari's hedgehog Box Weapon. If it weren't for Blue's warning growl and her agile reflexes, Nikoru would have been seriously injured, or dead.

The conversation that took place about the Trinisette Policy fell upon Nikoru's deaf ears as she recalled something crucial. Supposedly, Yuri of the time allied herself with the Millefiore and back-stabbed the Vongola, so where was she now?

Nikoru reflected on the conversation that she and Past!Yuri had about the Future. Yuri said something about joining Irie since he was actually a good guy. Yuri always had a one-track mind, so her Future self shouldn't be any different, right? Then again, it had been ten years… But Nikoru had to try.

As the Cervello began counting down and waited impatiently for Tsuna to take his Sky Ring off, Nikoru managed to shout over Lal and Gokudera's cries. "Irie!" No honorifics just yet, after all, they all still thought Irie was an enemy.

Irie paused and glanced back at Nikoru, his emotionless eyes remaining as cold as ever.

"Where's Yuri?" Nikoru questioned loudly.

"One," a Cervello said aloud.

Nikoru and the Cervello spoke simultaneously, drowning out each other's statements.

"Right here!" a familiar voice cheered as two echoing bangs resounded.

The Cervello choked as their knees gave out from under them. The one holding the remote that could end or save the Guardians' lives slipped out of her hand, clattering deafeningly throughout the stunned room.

"Irie…sama?" one uttered out before falling unconscious along with her lookalike.

"Nope!" TYL!Yuri grinned victoriously. "Just me. Sorry about that," Nikoru noted with amusement that Yuri sounded far from sorry, "I'll be putting you asleep for a while." TYL!Yuri smirked.

Nikoru wondered why TYL!Yuri seemed so hostile towards the Cervello. What did they do to her? Knowing Yuri as well as Nikoru did, it was probably something petty.

There was a suspenseful, yet dumbfounded, silence. While everyone was stunned - or in Hibari's case, bored - at what just happened, Nikoru felt various emotions as she finally saw Yuri once more. At first, she felt shock, happiness, and then utter disbelief. Nikoru thought her first words after seeing Yuri for the first time in a while would have been 'I haven't seen you in so long!' or 'I missed you', or even 'I can't believe what your Past self did to my scythe'.

But, instead… "What are you wearing?" was the stupefied and mildly disgusted accusation that exited through Nikoru's lips.

TYL!Yuri rolled her eyes in an exasperated gesture. "Oh, I know," she agreed. "I hate it how the skirts are so freaking short!" TYL!Yuri made a futile attempt to somehow make her tight skirt longer. "I swear," she muttered angrily, "Byakuran is a total pervert."

"I thought he was a pedophile…" Nikoru whispered, mainly to herself.

TYL!Yuri paused. "Or a pedophile, since he calls everyone with the suffix 'chan'," she added as an afterthought, shivering.

Nikoru smiled. After ten years, Yuri still remained the same. Though Nikoru had seen the White Spell women's uniform countless times, it seemed so…alien on Yuri.

"Stupid girl, so you did betray us!" Gokudera exclaimed furiously, pointing out the obvious.

"Yuri-san, what did you do to them?" Tsuna's eyes bulged.

"No shit, Sherlock," Yuri muttered at Gokudera's wise comment. "Relax. Those two," she spared a glance the unconscious duo, "are just under the influence of a sleeping toxin." Yuri gave a feral smirk.

Tsuna wasn't assured at all. Judging by that smirk, Tsuna doubted Yuri held any regret for what she did to them at all.

"Why did you stab us in the back?" Reborn's hologram interjected, seeing that the conversation was going nowhere. "Why would you join the enemy?"

Nikoru was curious too, and just a bit worried.

TYL!Yuri folded her arms across her chest as though she were ready to berate a child. "I never stabbed the Vongola in the back," she scoffed, denying it. Seeing Gokudera open his mouth to protest, Yuri clarified, "I quit the Vongola without telling anyone and went to join the Millefiore," she stated manner-of-factly.

Nikoru grinned at the twisted-up answer.

"Besides," TYL!Yuri continued, making Tsuna groan despite himself and what should be a serious atmosphere, "it's not like I told the Millefiore of your secrets, mainly because I forgot what they were…" she whispered the final part.

Gokudera struggled to find a comeback. "Then why are you so informal towards that bastard Irie?"

"What makes you think I'm being informal towards him?" Yuri asked, her face devoid of any emotion.

"You're holding his hand!" Gokudera pointed out, resisting the urge to punch something and burn it into complete ashes.

All occupants of the room immediately looked towards TYL!Yuri's and Irie's hands, which were, indeed, connected. Irie sported a lightly blush while TYL!Yuri remained indifferent.

"You have no proof of that," TYL!Yuri said simply, walking away. Gokudera was too busy spluttering furiously to think of another valid point. "Alright! Now that my 'betrayal' is all cleared up - which I must say is quite anticlimactic - Shoichi shall take up the spotlight!"

Walking towards the glass tube that imprisoned the Guardians and the others, TYL!Yuri made a bee-line for Nikoru. When she passed Gokudera, she heard an exasperated "She even used his first name!" but it fell on deaf ears as everyone began demanding answers from Irie.

"Nikoru~" TYL!Yuri sang, kneeling down in front of the aforementioned girl. The glass was the only thing separating them, and Nikoru could hear TYL!Yuri's voice loudly and clearly. "I haven't seen you in so long," she smiled warmly.

"Ah, Yuri," Nikoru always felt comfortable around her, it didn't matter what time they were in. "I misse-" Nikoru was cut off by TYL!Yuri's raised hand, signalling her to stop.

"Shh," she whispered, "hold on for a second."

Nikoru obeyed and followed TYL!Yuri's gaze and found herself staring at Irie, whose knees began to buckle nervously. Nikoru watched as Irie repeated the same ordeal. He sunk to his knees and unzipped his jacket.

TYL!Yuri chose that time to incorporate her plan. As Irie began to slip his jacket off, Yuri cried "He's stripping!" which caused Nikoru to laugh aloud and Irie to redden.

"Yuri-san! You're destroying the atmosphere!" Irie complained, losing his previous intimidating demeanour.

"Sorry!" Yuri grinned, confirming Nikoru and practically everyone else's suspicions that she wasn't sorry in the least. Satisfied, Yuri turned back to Nikoru. At the sight of her old friend, Yuri's eyes softened. "It's been a few months since I've last seen your face. Your double life is really troublesome," Yuri frowned.

"Ahh," Nikoru chuckled, ashamed. "Sorry. But now that you mention it, who's looking after the animals if I'm gone?"

"You really are an idiot," Yuri surmised, entirely straightforward. "There _are_ other vets who can take over, you know. Your Future self always told me how you felt guilty for making them work on your days off."

Nikoru was confused. "Why would I make them do that? Unless I've become a really big sadist…"

Yuri rolled her eyes impatiently. "Were you this dense in the Past?" Nikoru would have been insulted if she had not seen the amused smirk Yuri wore. "Does the phrase 'double life' mean anything to you? You were working for the Vongola, but only a select few knew of that. Others merely thought that your Future self was just some random acquaintance of Tsuna's that was a vet, which is good, considering the fact that the Millefiore were hunting down anyone who was close to the Vongola. Nobody ever chased after you."

Nikoru nodded as her mouth made an 'o' shape. "There's one thing I don't get though," she said, causing Yuri to roll her eyes exasperatedly. "Why did you join Millefiore and quit the Vongola?"

TYL!Yuri smiled, but it was a sad one. Nikoru was caught unaware when she saw Yuri's usually bright and lively orbs dull into such a depressing shade. It made Nikoru realize how…old Yuri truly was.

"I was lonely," she confessed quietly.

Nikoru's brow creased into a worried frown. "Lonely?" she echoed, confused.

TYL!Yuri's smile grew slightly as the light in her eyes dimmed a little further. "Ah," she confirmed. "Tsuna was busy with his duties, being Boss and all, so he had not much free time. And when he did, he normally spent it with his two best friends, or with Kyoko."

Nikoru waited for the sneer or grunt TYL!Yuri would make as she uttered Kyoko's name aloud. However, she was stupefied to see TYL!Yuri continue wearing her sad smile. Maybe Nikoru was wrong, maybe Yuri had grown ever-so slightly, but she never revealed it.

TYL!Yuri distractedly tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she continued. Nikoru was so engrossed with the conversation that she barely registered the hooped-earrings TYL!Yuri wore. "The Guardians were either busy on missions, training, trying to not get killed, or spending time with their family members that I hardly saw them. But then again, the only people I didn't mind hanging out with were you, Mukuro, and Hibari. Even after ten years, it was hard for me to befriend those fools."

Well, at least Nikoru was sure that Yuri hadn't really gotten over the animosity she held for those 'foolish, annoying bastards', as her Past self dubbed them.

"Hibari was always overseas researching new Box Weapons and Rings, as well as possible enemies." Nikoru wondered when the two became so close. It seemed…unnatural. "Mukuro was, of course, trapped within Vindicare prison, and our mental link eventually faded since we hadn't activated it in years," TYL!Yuri rolled her eyes.

"And then there was you, Nikoru," TYL!Yuri brightened up somewhat. "Unlike you, I didn't have a double life so I couldn't meet up with your Future self without getting you in deep trouble. By the way," TYL!Yuri glared half-heartedly at Nikoru, "I can't believe you stole my dream of becoming a vet."

Nikoru grinned. "Sorry," she sang cheerfully.

TYL!Yuri changed moods so quickly that it left Nikoru wondering how that was even possible. TYL!Yuri was solemn once more. "In the end, I was bored and lonely, and you know how I'm like when I'm all alone. Being alone sucks, it was so overwhelming for me, I thought about committing suicide a few times."

Nikoru's eyes widened in brief shock before glaring heatedly at TYL!Yuri. No matter the age difference, Nikoru still had to scold her sometimes-idiotic friend.

TYL!Yuri waved her hands around nervously. "Yes, it was a stupid thought, but in my defense, I was lonely!"

Nikoru's glare lessened, albeit reluctantly, and nodded for TYL!Yuri to continue. She made a mental note to never leave Yuri alone for an extended time in any circumstance.

"So it was either death, or join another Family that wasn't allied with the Vongola or very close with it. I decided on the Millefiore, mostly because Shoichi was there," TYL!Yuri smiled genuinely, all traces of sadness gone. "Wow, that was very angst-filled."

Nikoru sighed and smiled. Then a sudden thought hit her. "Why Irie though? I know your Past self said it was because Irie was a good-guy, but why do you seem so happy whenever you mention him?"

TYL!Yuri donned an all-knowing smirk, as if hiding something from Nikoru, something big. "Who knows?" she shrugged nonchalantly.

Before Nikoru got the chance to retort, TYL!Yuri skipped away and began twirling about the large room. Nikoru - the only one not paying attention to Irie's monologue - sweatdropped at the strange sight. It was a few seconds before Nikoru understood why TYL!Yuri was performing such a weird performance.

As though the puzzle pieces finally connected, Nikoru gawked, "You're doing that as a distraction!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the grinning Yuri.

TYL!Yuri's grin fell as she rushed over towards Irie and Tsuna who, along with several others, failed to spot TYL!Yuri's strange dance.

TYL!Yuri reached the duo just as Tsuna finished his enraged speech about bringing along Kyoko and the others even though they had no knowledge about the whole Mafia business.

TYL!Yuri was by Irie's side, who was being held up by a boy ten years younger than him, and shot a freezing glare at Tsuna. "Keep your hands off of my boyfriend," she growled.

TYL!Yuri disappeared in a puff of magenta-shaded smoke, abandoning the gawking Mafioso with multiple questions inside their minds popping up at a rapid pace.

A slightly louder, higher-pitched voice growled as the smoke evaporated. "Yeah, that's right; send me right after I confess," it huffed angrily. "Now, where am I?"

Nikoru beamed at the sound of Past!Yuri's voice, she was even happier to see her arrive at such an inconvenient time. Yuri confessed? To what? Actually, to whom? Nikoru was utterly confused.

But as she caught a glimpse of the look of hopelessness on Yuri's face, all of Nikoru's confusion was chased away by sadistic glee. Ah, it was so entertaining to watch Yuri get out of complicated situations that she had somehow conjured up.

Yuri studied the room indifferently. Stupid bad luck, stupid Megane-chan sending her to the Future accidentally at such an inconvenient time. As bitter thoughts such as the aforementioned revolved throughout Yuri's mind, her eyes glimmered deviously.

Nikoru blinked innocently. She knew that evil glimmer in Yuri's eyes; Nikoru had been on the receiving end of it many times. Nikoru sympathized for whoever Yuri was angry at.

"Yuri…san?" Irie asked tentatively as he eyed the black aura surrounding her, well, that and the fact that Tsuna was still holding him up by his collar.

Yuri's anger disappeared in a nanosecond as she turned edged her head mechanically to face Irie. It didn't take much effort since she was right next to him anyway. "Hmm, who are you?" she questioned with an air of nonchalance that even Spanner would envy.

Irie stared wide-eyed at the blissful girl. He swallowed while a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He knew the act Yuri was putting up presently.

Whenever Yuri was insanely mad, she would feign obliviousness. But Irie knew better. Even though Yuri asked such an innocent question, the undertone beneath her words would cause anyone who wasn't completely thick to realize she was annoyed.

Yuri smiled coldly, a smile that made Nikoru beam with pride. "Isn't it embarrassing to see a fully-grown man being lifted up threateningly by a feminine-looking pubescent boy?"

Irie and Tsuna either hung their heads in shame or flush with embarrassment at the truth in Yuri's somewhat cruel words.

Seeing that her work was done, Yuri lit up with a bright smile as she spotted the glass tube. She got her revenge on Irie for sending her to the Future at such an inopportune time - even if it technically was a different Irie.

Yuri decided to insult Tsuna in one breath as well. After all, before Yuri had arrived, Tsuna was probably screaming his head off about bringing Kyoko to the Future and mentally crippling her so she would become some sort of brainless fruit. Well, admittedly, he hadn't said that but Yuri thought that he might as well have.

Burning all thoughts of the Mary Sue, Yuri eyed Tsuna coldly. Unbeknownst to Yuri, her Future self had done something just like that before being sent to the White Device - Yuri decided that they really needed to name that.

Yuri bared her teeth ferociously, secretly pleased that her insulting comment made Tsuna release his grip on Irie's shirt. "By the way, Tsuna-kun," she said sweetly, her icy attitude replaced by one of false sweetness, "your Future self and Future!Kyo-chan was a part of this plan."

As Yuri left, her smile fell into an angered frown. "And that's how the 1827 fangirls began breeding…" she muttered darkly. "Yo, Nikoru!" Yuri chirped brightly as she squat down in front of her best friend.

Nikoru eyed the girl in front of her warmly. She could already see the cat ears and tail shooting up from Yuri's body and start twitching or swaying, indicating that she was quite content - much like a cat would do when happy.

"You missed out a lot," Nikoru remarked with a smile.

Yuri scoffed. "Please, the Future arc takes up about one hundred and fifty episodes. I don't think I missed anything crucial so far." The feline appendages stilled slightly at the cynical mood Yuri was presently in.

Nikoru's smile grew as amusement twinkled in her eyes. "By the way, I have two Box Weapons," Nikoru noticed Yuri smirk while the ears jerked and her tail began swaying slowly. "Oh yes, and there's something interesting engraved onto the pole of my scythe," she continued, feigning enthusiasm.

Yuri gasped. "Really?" she asked in fake-shock.

"Yep, and do you know what it says?" Nikoru's smile became a little colder. "It says: _'Kuraihana Yuri is AWESOME. Shirobara Nikoru smells. And Mukuro is a paedophilic, pineapple-head~ :D :D'. _Odd, isn't it?" Now her smile became noticeably strained.

Yuri laughed nervously. "Y-Yeah, strange…" She looked away, unable to face Nikoru's reproving gaze and Shadow Smile. "I wonder why."

Nikoru giggled. It was a giggle that told Yuri that she was going to experience pain later on. "Hmm," she hummed innocently, "I'll remind myself to make sure that we spar later on."

"Hmph," Yuri sniffed. "You could be at least thankful that I gave you that scythe. Honestly, what with you and your: 'But I want something sharp!' whines, it was grating on my nerves."

Nikoru smiled at Yuri's obvious irritation.

Yuri pouted. "Why am I the only one that sees your mean side?"

"Because you're awesome?" Nikoru offered simply.

Yuri gazed at her stoically. "Damn, I knew that excuse was gonna come back and haunt me."

Nikoru noticed Yuri fingering her choker, or 'collar' as Yuri preferred to call it. "When did you get a new collar?" she asked, interested.

Yuri's hand subconsciously trailed over the smooth, blue leather. "Shoichi gave it to me," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

Seeing Yuri act like that was so…bizarre though, she did look cute and innocent. "Why?" Nikoru pressed.

Yuri sent her a heated glare. "Because it was my birthday," she said through clenched teeth. Since they were currently transported nine years and ten months into the future, the date had obviously changed, meaning that Yuri's birthday wouldn't be until a few months.

Nikoru winced. "Sorry. But at least you have a present that you want," she smiled.

"Yeah," was all Yuri said. It made Yuri smile when she thought of how considerate Past!Irie was. Past!Irie one day noticed the absence of Yuri's red and gold choker and decided to voice his inquiry aloud. Since Yuri was no longer a student of Namimori, she had to relinquish her place as a…prefect? Dog? Either way, she no longer belonged to the Disciplinary Committee.

"Ah, I remember something!" Nikoru said after several seconds of comfortable silence. "Since when did you start liking Irie-san?" Nikoru's eyes widened in shock and mild disbelief - Yuri never showed any interest in love.

Yuri looked away, embarrassed. "Well, um," she stammered, "I never realized I started liking him until I saw that…note."

Nikoru nodded. She knew Yuri was quite dense when it came to feelings, especially her own. "Note?" she repeated, befuddled.

Yuri hummed noncommittally. "Yeah, remember, that episode where Shoichi explains about how he travelled to the Future?" Nikoru still appeared nonplussed, so Yuri had to clarify, "in Choice?"

"Oh!" Nikoru understood now.

"Slow one," Yuri insulted half-heartedly.

Nikoru grinned. "So…I'm assuming that you confessed?" she asked, bubbly.

Yuri scowled and clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn straight. But right after I confessed, I got sent here," she huffed.

Nikoru grimaced sympathetically. "At least you have this Irie-san with you right here and now."

Yuri smirked. "If Tsuna doesn't end up destroying his eardrums…" she trailed off while gazing someplace else. "OH MY GOSH, IT'S CHROME!"

Nikoru blanched at the sudden change of atmosphere. As Yuri's cat tail whizzed happily, Nikoru wondered why Yuri seemed to be glowing. That was really out of place. But first…"I thought you were distancing yourself from Chrome?" Nikoru tilted her head to the side questioningly.

"In a roundabout way," Yuri smiled sadly as her feline accessories halted to a stop, as well as the glowing. Stupid random mood swings. "Other than random outbursts and hugs, I'm pretty much detaching myself. That way, we'll still see each other at times, but she won't depend on me anymore." Yuri sighed. "I sometimes wonder whether I'm too nice."

Nikoru choked on her saliva. Yuri? Too kind? Unable to help herself, Nikoru's shoulders shook in silent laughter while tears of mirth formed from her eyes.

Yuri rolled her eyes. "It's not _that_ weird," she grumbled.

Seeing that Nikoru wouldn't stop, Yuri huffed and left the silently laughing girl.

Yuri strode towards her…crush. She grinned as Irie clutched his stomach in pain, anxiety growing. Irie was certainly interesting. Yuri chuckled and ruffled his hair, he was too cute! Though, Chrome was cuter. "You're so cuddly," she commented and poked one of his cheeks as she stood by his side.

Spanner, who was kneeling by Irie's other side, smiled slightly and began to compliment the redhead.

Yuri grinned and decided that she liked Spanner. She decided to tune in as Irie began his incredibly long monologue.

"Reaching this place was the first hurdle in order to defeat Byakuran-san," he addressed to everyone, but mostly to Tsuna.

"I don't like hurdles," Yuri commented lightly, but ended up being ignored.

oOoOo

Yuri sat down on the tiled floor as she waited for her friend to be freed from the glass prison. As soon as her rear connected to the floor, she was instantly ambushed by Gokudera, along with Tsuna who obviously looked like he was dragged along.

"You!" Gokudera hollered, sounding outraged.

Yuri gazed up at the angry teenager. "What?" she shot back, mood instantly dampening.

"Did you know what your Future self did to us?" he asked, shaking with fury.

Yuri paused to contemplate what would make Gokudera so angry. "No," she said after several seconds. After all, there were a lot of options when it came to guessing what would tick Gokudera off.

"Your Future self back-stabbed that Tenth and ran off with _that_ guy," Gokudera indicated towards Irie, who flinched at the sudden attention.

"Don't refer to Megane-chan as '_that_' guy," Yuri scowled then she registered his words. "I…back-stabbed you guys?" she repeated slowly.

Gokudera snorted. "I should have expected that."

Tsuna stepped up once he noticed how Yuri had gone quiet. "Um, Yuri-san. It's alright, we don't blame you, and we know that you didn't really do anything to hurt us. But when we heard your Future self ran off and joined the Millefiore…we jumped to conclusions," he said nervously.

"More like skydived to conclusions," she muttered darkly. Yuri adopted a thinking pose. "So you know my Future self isn't a traitorous bastard, right?" At Tsuna's nod, she furrowed her eyebrows. "Then why are you telling me this?"

Tsuna looked to Gokudera.

Gokudera hesitated for a moment. "So that we can get some answers!"

Yuri scoffed at the obvious pause. "How the hell should I know what my Future self was thinking?" she muttered sourly but answered nonetheless. Yuri leaned back, using her arms to keep her upper body up. "Well, my Future self probably ran away because she was bored, lonely, or she wanted to spend time with Megane-chan." She paused and blinked as another understandable, logical option floated to her mind. "Either that or she wanted to piss you off real badly."

Tsuna interjected before Gokudera could start his accusations again. "Why Irie-san? You're Future self said that he was your b-boyfriend," his squeaked at the intimate word, "and it's been ten years, so anything could have happened, but what about you? Even now, you seem to know him well."

Yuri smirked. She had a plan to mess with their heads. Yuri stood up and tugged at her collar, making the silver bell tinkle slightly. "You see this? Shoichi from our time gave me this, meaning that we're officially engaged."

Ah, it felt good to be back with her wonderful victims. At least a part of her goal was completed. To ruin the atmosphere and steal everyone's thunder, that was Kuraihana Yuri's goal, mostly because it entertained her to no end.

Yuri's smirk turned into a full-blown grin as she heard Tsuna scream, accompanied by the heavy thud of Irie's body hitting with floor. It appeared as if Irie faint from shock or embarrassment, thought mostly the latter since he was sporting a massive blush.

oOoOo

Nikoru peered down at Yuri. Yuri glanced up at Nikoru.

"So, how's it feel to be like a cat?" she inquired, smiling. "You're slightly bigger than Blue's Minimized form. Is that what I called it?" Nikoru blinked. "Ah well," she grinned.

Yuri was currently stuck in the form of a small cat, one of the side effects Shamal conveniently forgot to inform her of. She looked no different to any other cat at least.

"It feels…odd," Neko!Yuri murmured.

Nikoru petrified from shock. "You can…talk?" she squawked out.

Neko!Yuri huffed. "Obviously." Neko!Yuri's voice sounded like an arrogant child's, most likely a boy's. Neko!Yuri realized why her cat-voice sounded familiar. "I sound like Kon from Bleach," she grinned, which looked out of place for a cat.

Nikoru knelt down in front of Neko!Yuri and rubbed the fur-covered forehead. "Reborn-san said that whenever you're happy or excited, you turn into your cat form. However, when experience less pleasant feelings, you return to a human."

Neko!Yuri paused in her purring. "So basically, whenever I'm in a really good mood, I turn into a cat. But when I'm in a really bad mood, I turn back into a human. So if I'm slightly happy or slightly pissed, I remain in whatever form I'm already in?" Neko!Yuri clarified, not liking it at all.

"Most likely," Nikoru offered. "Reborn-san also said that this would go on for a few weeks, but we're going to be stuck here for a while anyway." Nikoru shrugged helplessly. "You know, you look really pretty as a cat," Nikoru complimented as she eyed Neko!Yuri's sleek black fur. "And your eyes are so… magical."

Neko!Yuri sweat-dropped. As Nikoru had her own thoughts of her friend's feline form, Neko!Yuri wondered whether or not she could communicate with animals.

Nikoru wondered why Neko!Yuri's fur was black instead of blue. Yuri's eyes were normally blue, so it made sense as to why Neko!Yuri's eyes were also blue, albeit a shade darker. Maybe Neko!Yuri's fur was black because - in their other world - Yuri used to have black hair.

The girl and the cat were both dragged out of their musings as Irie walked over.

"Irie-san?" Nikoru murmured quizzically.

"Ah, Nikoru-san," Irie ran a hair through his already messy locks. "Have you seen Yuri-san?"

Nikoru blanched. Yuri-_san_? Did TYL!Yuri make Irie treat her like a Queen? It was normal for Irie to be formal with Nikoru, since the two hadn't really gotten to know each other - in both the Past and Future - but Yuri was his girlfriend for crying out loud. Nikoru blinked and answered Irie's question by gazing down at the cat by her feet.

"Yuri-san…turned into a cat," Irie stated, as though it were a normal occurrence. "Well, that shouldn't really surprise me," he chuckled and shook his head, as if ridding an amusing memory. "Anyway, Nikoru-san, could you hold onto this for Yuri-san until she's back to normal," he paused, "whenever that is?"

Nikoru nodded with a smile and accepted the items in Irie's hand. There were two Boxes, one white with a black star, and one black with a white star. They were a matching pair.

"They're not Vongola Boxes, well not officially, but they still hold great power," Irie beamed.

"Thank you," Nikoru's smile grew. "I'm sure Yuri will be happy."

Irie silently handed a book to Nikoru, who peered at it curiously.

"This is Yuri's diary, the Future Yuri," Irie corrected himself. "No one other than Yuri can open it," he gestured towards the lock which had the same hole a Box Weapon had, "Yuri's Future self told me to give it to her younger self once she arrived. I'm not sure what is contained within the diary, but it might be useful."

Nikoru nodded and sweat-dropped at the black book. The book was shaped like an A4 exercise notebook and the words 'Death Note' were written messily in liquid paper at the top of the cover. Nikoru smiled strange diary and shared a chuckle with Irie.

Neko!Yuri wasn't paying attention at all and soon grew disinterested with the conversation and walked away. Since she was stuck in a feline body, she couldn't open her Box just yet. Neko!Yuri was also devoid of her ring. She lost everything except her collar once she transformed. Including her clothes.

Yuri hoped that she wouldn't transform back at an inconvenient time. Unless she began thinking negative thoughts within a crowded place, Yuri was safe. Probably.

* * *

**Author's notes:** YAY! Double the length to make up for the lateness. Well, I did warn you that I was gonna be busy. :3

I FAILED MY MATHS EXAM! :D Passing mark was 27 (LOL, Tsuna), and I got 22. :3 But in my defense, my teacher is CRAP. Half the class barely passed (and they all go tutor). ;D

_**Ever failed any of your tests? Why? **__Leave your answers via reviews. I love reading your reviews. xD_

I put the link to a picture of Neko!Yuri on my profile. xD___  
_

_Published date: _18-09-10


	18. Enter: Arcobaleno Trials

Chapter 18

_Enter: Arcobaleno Trials_

"Irie has as much imagination as you do, Nikoru," Yuri frowned as she spoke to her friend. "I mean, who gets lost on a picnic for _three_ days?" Yuri huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Mafioso?" Nikoru suggested hesitantly. "But at least you get to see Irie-san, uh, his younger self."

Yuri gave a lopsided smile. "But a part of me wants to stay here," she gestured towards Merone Base - well, what was left of it anyway. She sighed before breaking into glowing particles and being transported to the Past.

The past several days after they had finally learnt the truth of Irie and returned back to the Vongola Base were tiring for Yuri. When Nikoru and Yuri were in a room without anyone else, Nikoru showed a picture of a smiling Kyoko in order for Yuri to get irritated so that she could change back into a human.

Needless to say, Yuri transformed back in a few seconds after viewing the picture. Nikoru vowed to keep a set of clothes for Yuri every time they went out, just in case.

Another problem that inevitably surfaced for Yuri was Chrome. Chrome wasn't eating much, which made Yuri uncomfortable. As much as she wanted to tell Chrome to eat healthily, Yuri couldn't due to the fact that she swore not to interfere again. It was very frustrating to Yuri, but she had to persevere. After all, Chrome couldn't lean on Yuri like a crutch anymore. Chrome had to support for herself, especially since she was in the Mafia.

But if Yuri ever crossed paths with TYL!M.M. - which Yuri was sure to do as she constantly reminded herself - she wouldn't definitely have a _chat_ with the money-obsessed girl.

Before the group split into their separate ways, Yuri punched Gokudera in the stomach, right above the crotch.

"What…was that for?" Gokudera managed to wheeze out as he clutched his lower torso in pain.

Yuri smirked dangerously. "For scaring Shoichi," she answered as her killing intent directed itself towards to teenager in pain.

"Please forgive Yuri for her act of violence," Nikoru apologized, trying not to smile.

"Yuri-san, you can't do that out of the blue!" Tsuna warned, sounding quite pathetic.

However, his pleads fell to deaf ears as Yuri ran away, all the while yelling "Shoichi!" repeatedly.

The group sweatdropped before moving on. Gokudera scowled angrily before making a mental note to take care of Yuri later on. But of course, Gokudera was all bark and no bite, and would probably forget that little reminder before the day was up.

oOoOo

Yuri inched forward slightly and read her Death Note intently. She was so engrossed with her Future self's diary that - other than the slight pressure on her shoulder courtesy of Naru-chan - she didn't take notice of her surroundings.

Yuri found the diary extremely interesting. It was filled with her Future self's encounters and various pointers in case the Present Yuri had a run in with certain Funeral Wreaths. The diary also contained explanations for her Future self's actions.

Because Yuri was still devoid of her Ring, she had to make do and direct her Dying Will Flame into the tip of either finger. Once she had accomplished this - it had taken a few minutes due to her indecisiveness on _what_ actually was her resolve - she then inserted the finger into the hole and the diary opened automatically.

_Dear, myself. _

_Okay, that sounds odd. Anyway, I've taken the time from by boring life to write this…diary. Wait, maybe journal sounds better. Diary sounds too girly. Ahem, this journal - which looks like a replica of the Death Note - will just be about what has happened in my life ten years into the future so far._

"Yuri-san…"

Yuri ignored the talk around her and continued reading the diar- journal.

_I won't dwell on the useless facts such as why I joined the Millefiore - I know you can take a guess as to why I did that. Right now, I'm within Merone Base. I just came back from meeting Byakuran and have confirmed my place as a member of his White Spell section of the Family._

"Yuri-san…?"

The noise was getting pretty annoying.

_Don't worry, seeing how you'll meet him later on during the Choice battle or whatnot, I disguised myself and assumed the appearance of…our 'normal' self. Insert smirk._

_I also changed my name so Byakuran won't have a clue as to who you are when you both meet face-to-face. In short, we have a new alias. Yay! Clap, clap._

"Yuri-san!"

The abrupt shout shocked Yuri so much that she ended up falling off of the desk she was sitting atop of.

"What?" Yuri shrieked once she was back on her feet.

Naru-chan ruffled his feathers after collecting himself from the fall. He now sat on Yuri's head, a safer position just in case his partner should have another angry outburst.

Tsuna shrunk back at the volume. "Sorry, but you were sort of in the way."

Yuri stared at Tsuna, confused. "How?"

Tsuna blinked back incredulously at the befuddled girl. "You were sitting cross-legged _on_ my desk. Actually, why are you even here?" It was his turn to look confused. After all, Yuri was meant to be at Tensai Gakuen (as he was informed of by Reborn), not back in Nami-chuu, especially sitting on his desk right before homeroom.

"Oh, I was expelled," Yuri answered casually, smiling.

Gokudera scoffed. "Why am I not surprised?" he asked rhetorically, scowling.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" she shot back, sticking her tongue out childishly.

"Expelled?" Tsuna pressed, trying to play peacemaker before an argument broke out.

"Yep!" Yuri chirped proudly. "Ah~ and only after several weeks too," she sighed wistfully.

"What happened?" Nikoru asked, a bit worried and bewildered at how Yuri managed to get expelled so soon.

"One of the teachers I hated coincidentally fell down the stairs and died," Yuri looked away innocently.

Tsuna gawked incredulously. Yuri was lying, right? She had to be.

Gokudera's eye involuntarily widened at Yuri's roundabout 'admittance'. Hah, that stupid girl was obviously lying…hopefully.

Yamamoto's bright laughter broke the stunned silence. He thought it was a joke, as usual.

Nikoru stared at Yuri the whole time, scrutinizing her. "Seriously?" she asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow.

"I lied," Yuri deadpanned. "I didn't get expelled, I just quit."

"Get to the point already!" Gokudera snapped, irritated, mostly because he actually believed Yuri's lie for a moment there. "Tell us why, you stupid girl!"

Yuri ignored the irritated boy. "Well, it turns out that I have to take math regularly," she said idly. "Nikoru should know that I completely fail when it comes to math. Maybe it's because I'm awesome at English Lit that I suck at math. Just like how air-benders have a hard time earth-bending…"

"The Last Airbender?" Yamamoto piped up.

Nikoru blinked. Great, another Avatar fan.

Yuri grinned. "This is why you're my favourite, Yamamoto." She walked over to Yamamoto and stretched her arm so that she could pat his head. "Good boy," she complimented somewhat patronizingly.

"You're so short," Nikoru smiled in amusement.

Yuri turned to Nikoru and scoffed. "I'm aware. Even Tsuna's taller than me by an inch," she hung her head in disappointment.

Fortunately for Tsuna, the two girls were away from the rest of the group and their conversation was lost amongst the midst of others'.

"I mean, seriously, who the hell made it so that you needed a compass to draw a _square_?" Yuri roared cantankerously. She sighed heavily, "Maths suck."

"You used to be so good at it before they decided to mix the alphabet in," Nikoru reasoned loyally.

Yuri nodded solemnly before changing the topic. "By the way, have you seen Kyo-chan?" she questioned curiously, all traces of her grim mood gone.

"Hibari-san?" Nikoru asked. "Why?"

"Kuraihana!" a stunned cry rang throughout the classroom before Yuri could utter an explanation as to why she wanted to see the Vongola Cloud Guardian.

Yuri made a one-eighty turn and looked at Nezu-sensei, the one who exclaimed her name not thirty seconds ago. "Yes?" she asked innocently.

Poor Nezu-sensei was so shocked that his mouth hung ajar. "W-What are you doing back here?"

"Shouldn't he be asking why she was gone so long in the first place?" Nikoru whispered to herself after discretely heading to her seat. After all, Yuri didn't tell anyone else other than Nikoru, Hibari, and Irie that she was leaving Namimori-chuu for Tensai Gakuen.

"Aww, sensei, do you miss me that much?" Yuri smiled in feign abashment, trying to hide a smirk that was forming on her lips.

Nezu-sensei choked on his saliva before crying an indignant "No!" loudly.

"No need to be so embarrassed," Yuri sang, not bothering to hide her full-blown smirk this time. "Well, I'll be leaving~"

Yuri hummed cheerfully as she wandered the halls of Namimori Middle. Several minutes had passed since she left the horrified Nezu-sensei and his classroom, and Yuri still hadn't come across the Reception room. Well, she was directionally challenged, so it didn't come as much of a surprise to her.

"Wah!" Yuri exclaimed as she crashed into someone. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on something other than the pain on her rear. "Ah, sorry," she apologized automatically.

"Why does this seem familiar?" Hibari wondered idly, recalling the first time Yuri had bumped into him.

"Kyo-chan!" Yuri grinned happily. "Come to think of it, this is how we met," she smiled fondly. Yuri picked herself up and stood in front of the older boy. "Good timing, I was looking for you."

Hibari did not let his slight curiosity seep through his mask of indifference. "Hn."

Yuri, after spending much time with Hibari, took the grunt as a sign for her to continue. "Well, I was wondering, we should be friends," Yuri nodded at her straightforward request.

"No," Hibari rejected almost immediately.

"Eh?" Yuri whined. "Why not?" she pouted dejectedly. Having Hibari as a friend would certainly result well later on. Yuri could imagine the benefits of befriending the aloof and uncaring boy. The Death Note also mentioned something about her Future self and TYL!Hibari being friends…if Yuri could call that 'friendship'.

"I have no need for companions," he responded casually.

Yuri puffed her cheeks up impatiently. She already saw Hibari as a friend, all she needed was for him to accept that fact. "But we're already unofficial friends!" she argued. Befriending Hibari would be beneficial since he was feared by most of the sheep throughout Namimori. After all, since Yuri's plan in joining the Disciplinary Committee and being feared failed terribly, being the Head Prefect's only friend - could you count Kusakabe? - was the next best thing.

"And your reason for this assumption?" Hibari stared expectantly at the girl in front of her. How did she deduce that they were friends? How odd. No one had ever thought about befriending him before. But then again, the girl wasn't what one would label 'normal'.

"Well," Yuri began smoothly, "when you see an everyday student walk past you, what do you think of him?"

"A mere herbivore," Hibari replied blankly, unsure as to where this interrogation was going.

"Okay," Yuri nodded, accepting the predictable answer. "What comes to mind when you see Tsuna?" Yuri hoped that Hibari wouldn't give an answer that could be morphed into something dirty and would make the fangirls wild.

"The baby," Hibari smirked. "A few more years and Sawada Tsunayoshi may even be an omnivore."

Yuri pondered on that. At least Hibari actually gave her a somewhat lengthy answer. Because he was Tsuna's Cloud Guardian, Hibari had some history with the others, meaning that he probably didn't just see them all as he saw all the sheep- others.

"So you have some history with them…" Yuri murmured. "That technically wouldn't mean that you're friends with them. Maybe an acquaintance? Or perhaps an ally," Yuri frowned thoughtfully.

Hibari blinked as he watched the girl put on a contemplative face. Why did she struggle so much for something as ridiculous as becoming friends? Honestly, it was horribly bothersome. Maybe it would be easier if Hibari just relented and accepted her request? After all, he dearly wanted to head to the roof and take a nap…

"But you know, Kyoya," Yuri began after her thorough thinking, "we're a lot alike."

Hibari noted the use of his actual name and raised an eyebrow. Yuri opted for the nickname because it would annoy him or because she wanted to tease him, so Hibari found the usage of his name rare.

"How so?" Hibari prompted.

Yuri smiled warmly. "Because we both hate foolish idiots who don't think logically," she continued smiling innocently, though it lost all its warmth.

"I find it hard to believe an idiot like you dislikes other idiots," Hibari remarked dryly.

"How do you know I'm not pretending to be an idiot?" Yuri asked mysteriously with her back turned.

Hibari's eyes widened ever-so slightly. Could the girl actually be competent enough to do that? Her idiocy was quite convincing… Maybe she had split personalities and was ditzy at times while serious during others? Hibari's mind went a mile a minute as he watched Yuri retreat.

Yuri grinned. The conversation was proof that Hibari considered herself as a friend deep, deep down. He was merely in denial, or entirely thick. But the fact that Hibari kept the conversation alive was already something noteworthy. Now to head to Italy, or back in time…

Now that Yuri stopped to think about it, weren't there two new mysterious transfer students arriving today?

oOoOo

"Oi! Himeko! Monta!" Yuri hollered cheerily as she ran towards the school gates.

"Yuri-chan?" Kyoko asked curiously beside Hana.

Yuri grimaced at the suffix 'chan' before grinning at the new 'transfer students'. "I wasn't at class today, so I didn't get to meet the new transfer students," she said.

"Then how does she know their names…?" Hana mutter almost indistinguishably.

Because she was awesome, duh. Yuri turned to the girl with red hair and her twin brother. "Hmm, you two seem familiar," Yuri murmured harmlessly.

"Really? How interesting," Himeko smirked.

Yuri returned the smirk knowingly.

"So your parents are overseas?" Kyoko voiced, not noticing Himeko and Yuri's exchange. "That must be hard," she sympathized.

"Not really," Monta piped up. "Our old man had a habit of throwing things, and our mother was always screaming in our ears. I actually feel much better now," he admitted.

While Kyoko and Hana looked stunned at this new piece of information, Yuri doubled over with laughter.

"Oh my God, I can totally imagine that!" Yuri grinned and wiped away tears of mirth. After the Ring Battle, the Varia were much more tolerable. Mammon describing Xanxus as the Varia's dad and Squalo as the mom was priceless. "But I thought the exuberant, sunglass-wearing one was the mother," Yuri blinked.

"She's our older sister," Monta replied seriously, as if willing himself to believe that.

"So you knew," Himeko grinned, not too surprised that Yuri had seen through their disguises.

"I'm just that awesome," Yuri explained, nodding wisely.

"I have a feeling that we're missing something," Hana grumbled suspiciously.

Just like in the series, Himeko asked Kyoko if they could go shopping. Right after Kyoko accepted, Haru came rushing over, wondering where Tsuna was.

Yuri followed along even though she wasn't invited. She discretely eyed Hana from her position beside Himeko. Other than her hate for kids and her undeniable loyalty towards Kyoko, Hana wasn't all that bad.

Yuri absentmindedly accepted the pork bun Himeko offered. She bit into the warm treat while watching the other girls hesitate over whether or not they should accept the free food.

She shot a glance towards the disguised Fong and suppressed a shudder. Yuri understood the look Fong gave her. It was one that he often used when he was training Yuri back during the Ring Conflict. It simply meant that Yuri had to train more. Damn.

Her mind drifted back to Hana. Hana was one of the more logical characters of the series though, she had little airtime. Hana wasn't like all the other overly-feminine girls and was quite curt. Yuri thought it was a shame for her to be so pessimistic. But then again, it just made her more interesting.

Yuri halted in her thoughts. Ugh, she just sounded like some perverted creep.

"Huh? Where did the others go?" Yuri was so lost in her ponders that she didn't realize that Haru, Kyoko, and Hana were gone.

"Tch, that meddlesome Mosquito sent them away," Himeko scowled.

"Ah, Shamal," Yuri nodded understandingly. "Bel, was it really necessary to cross-dress as a girl?" she asked somewhat condescendingly and gazed at Himeko.

"It's not cross-dressing! It's an illusion!" Himeko corrected defensively.

"It also adds more authenticity," Monta supplied helpfully.

"Yes, yes," Yuri agreed airily. "I'm surprised to see you guys go to such lengths just to investigate Tsuna's non-combatant friends. More specifically, _Kyoko_," Yuri spat the name as though it contaminated her mouth with a bad taste.

Monta blinked. "How did you know what our plan was…?" His face remained impassive as ever, but fascination flashed through his eyes.

Yuri gave Monta a look that implied that that was a foolish question. "Because I'm awesome," she replied curtly. "I wish I could head back to Italy with you guys, but I have to go back to the Future," she elaborated solemnly.

Himeko and Monta clearly didn't believe Yuri, but decided to humor her anyway.

"Say hello the others for me. Oh," Yuri paused, "make sure to specifically exclude Squalo," she grinned mischievously.

oOoOo

"Lal-shishou, you really shouldn't bully Skull-san so much…" Nikoru cringed as Lal continued to jump onto the Cloud Arcobaleno's helmet.

"Oh hey, it's Nikoru," a detached voice remarked.

Nikoru looked back and saw Yuri approach the lively Kokuyo Land.

"Are we having a party?" she asked enthusiastically, grinning.

"Y-Yuri-san, this is obviously not a party," Tsuna paled as he narrowly dodged the debris created by Mukuro and Hibari.

Tsuna's comment fell on deaf ears as Skull's henchmen appeared randomly. Several came from trees, and others came from bushes.

"How long have they been hiding there?" Yuri asked incredulously.

Nikoru sweat-dropped. Yuri made a good point.

"You know, either Skull's henchmen are extremely weak, or Mukuro and Hibari combined are insanely strong," Yuri noted as the men dressed in black were flung all over the place due to Mukuro and Hibari. "Ah! Can I have my Box Weapon and Ring back?"

Nikoru stared at Yuri. "No," she said shortly.

"What? Why!" Yuri demanded, stomping her foot against the earth like a stubborn child. She idly noted the giant octopus nearby, but far enough so that it couldn't reach them. Actually, how did it even get there without anyone noticing? Better question was: how did it survive on _land_? As in, no water at all. God, this anime was confusing.

"Revenge," Nikoru responded simply.

Yuri took half a step back at the Shadow Smile being displayed presently. "B-But you already hit me…"

Nikoru's Smile chilled Yuri to the marrow of her bone. "That _Tekkai_ of yours protected you, unfortunately."

Yuri rolled her eyes, directing her attention away from the cold smile. "I can only hold it for three minutes." A sudden idea struck her. "Ah! Good thinking, Nikoru!" Yuri slapped a baffled Nikoru on the back. "I can spend my time meditating and training. Looks like I won't need my Box Weapon and Ring after all."

Nikoru blinked. "Uhh, sure."

"You going to Reborn's trial tomorrow?" Yuri asked conversationally, ignoring Ken's loud shouts.

"Of course," Nikoru said, sounding shocked that Yuri would even need to ask. "What about you?"

Yuri snorted. "No way, especially since we have to leave so early…"

Nikoru rolled her eyes at the shallow answer.

"Make sure to have fun watching the Guardians fail against Reborn. I mean, he only manage to hit them slightly and they all fall unconscious? Like, what the hell?" Yuri scowled irritably.

Nikoru remained impassive and waited for Yuri to let it all out. After all, Yuri was right and Nikoru couldn't find anything to prove her words wrong.

Yuri finally calmed down after releasing a heavy sigh. "By the way," she looked around and noticed the apparent lack of noise, "have you noticed how hardly any blood is spilled in this show?"

Nikoru tilted her head in confusion. "But I'm thankful for that."

Yuri hummed noncommittally. "One Piece is definitely better," she murmured before leaving for her apartment. "Take care of Chrome, Nikoru," Yuri whispered.

Nikoru smiled. "Sure," she nodded and walked towards Tsuna.

oOoOo

Nikoru yawned groggily as she left Yuri. On the ground, unconscious. With multiple cuts and bruises everywhere. Oh well, that was what Yuri got for carving in that ridiculous and humiliating message on Nikoru's scythe.

From how Nikoru saw it, she was being merciful to Yuri. After all, the injuries would heal in a few days…or weeks, but the embarrassing message would last _forever_. Unless, Nikoru destroyed the scythe altogether. Which was definitely not happening. It was too…pretty to be gotten rid of. And powerful, did she mention it was powerful?

Nikoru cried in delight as she spotted the person she was looking for. She hastened in her steps until she was right in front of him. Irie Shoichi.

"Irie-kun," Nikoru smiled and stuck a hand out. "I'm Shirobara Nikoru."

Irie blinked at the hand before shaking it. Didn't people normally bow to each other in Japan? "Ah, Y-Yuri-san's friend," Irie remarked, silently berating himself for almost forgetting the respectful suffix. He recalled the time when Yuri had ordered him to use the suffix unless they were alone.

Nikoru halted for two reasons. One, she just realized that she should have bowed, but shrugged it off. Shaking hands would be good practice for Irie when he went to that American University…right? And the second reason Nikoru hesitated was because she noted Irie's usage of the suffix. Huh, Yuri sure was something.

"Irie-kun, you're dating Yuri, ne?" Nikoru smirked deviously at the blush creeping up Irie's cheeks.

"Yes," he mumbled, embarrassed.

Nikoru blinked and decided to toy with him some more. "You're not embarrassed to be dating Yuri, are you?" Even though Nikoru was joking, worry still unintentionally seeped through her voice.

"No, of course not!" Irie hastily denied, hoping that Nikoru believed though it seemed he replied a little too fast. But the only reason he was embarrassed was because, well, as Yuri put it, he was innocent.

Nikoru smiled, letting out a breath she didn't know she was keeping in. "I see. Well, I'm going to quiz you on everything you know about Yuri!" she declared brightly. "You've been friends for a while, right? And even before you guys started going out, Yuri seemed to hold you as a dear friend.

"So," Nikoru continued, hoping that she wasn't babbling, "I'm going to ask you questions, that you should know, about Yuri." The 'this is to test whether or not you deserve being Yuri's boyfriend' left unvoiced, of course.

Irie nodded. "Sure." Why not? It's not like he had anything better to do, especially since Yuri was going back to the future today. Now that he brought it up, Irie realized with sadness that he didn't get to say goodbye yet.

Nikoru noticed Irie's abrupt sadness, but she didn't know why he seemed so upset. She could practically see the stormy clouds hovering over his mop of red hair. "Okay, first question, what does Yuri like?"

Irie's brain instantly got to work. His photographic memory did help after all. "Anime, manga, bishounens, bishoujos, money, dramas, cute things, and unhealthy food," he listed off without hesitation. Yuri always did chatter non-stop, so it was obvious that Irie would somehow remember all that.

Nikoru nodded slowly. "Yuri talks a lot about herself," she remarked quietly with a smile. "Alright. That was her likes, but what about her dislikes?"

Irie's mind instantly recalled all of Yuri's peeves. He took a deep breath, "Annoying idiots, super perverts, bullies, obsessive fangirls, people who don't think logically, pity, and pineapples," he blinked at the final one. Why did Yuri hate pineapples so much that she continuously mentioned it?

"Why?" Nikoru asked shortly.

Irie was confused. "Pardon?" Why what?

"Why does Yuri hate all those things?" Nikoru clarified patiently. "There has to be a reason. Everything has a beginning," she repeated one of Yuri's less…immature statements.

"Oh," Irie mumbled in understanding. "Well, she hates annoying idiots because her family was apparently full of them," he said quietly, wondering if it was true. Would someone really hate their family like that?

Nikoru smiled sympathetically. "Correct. I'm surprised she told someone else, especially someone she knows not much about."

"E-Eh? You mean I should have opened up more to her?" Irie asked frantically, waving his hands around madly.

Nikoru chuckled at the odd display. "No, no, I was just saying. I guess she really does love you, Irie-kun," Nikoru beamed. She got right back to business. "Well, we can skip the 'super pervert' thing since she doesn't really have a proper reason. Although, it is kind of hypocritical since Yuri is a pervert herself."

Irie shook his head in negative. "No, she just has perverted thoughts," he corrected with an amused smile. "I think she meant 'super perverts' as in peeping toms."

Wow, Irie possibly knew Yuri better than Nikoru did. She chuckled silently at the prospect. That was impossible, right? Right. "Bullies?" she prompted.

"Family," Irie answered curtly.

"Obsessive fangirls?"

"They're annoying?" Irie guessed. "Umm, she did mention something about you being a fangirl at times, so maybe that's why…" he trailed off nervously, hoping that he didn't offend Nikoru.

Nikoru laughed happily. "Good guess," she complimented with a shameless grin. Her Inner Fangirl did tend to turn Yuri apathetic after all. "People who don't think logically?"

"Yuri-san finds it frustrating when others make pointless facts that aren't realistic or believable," he informed Nikoru expertly.

"Pity?" Nikoru continued her interrogation.

Irie stared at Nikoru. Did he really need to answer that? Yuri was quite dependent on herself and loathed it when people pitied her, wasn't it obvious based on her attitude?

Nikoru understood the gaze that implied that she was an idiot for asking it in the first place. "…Pineapples?" she asked after a while, sweat-dropping at the ridiculous and honestly foolish hate.

"She finds the fruit repulsive," Irie answered, unsure of Nikoru's hesitation. "And, one time, she mentioned something about pedophile-like, homicidal, pineapple-man," he said, nonplussed.

Nikoru cracked an entertained grin and noticed how the sun had changed position from the side, to the middle. Uh oh, it was almost time. "Well, you passed! Congratulations, Irie-kun, you're a good match for Yuri," she said hastily. "Please take care of the idiot for me," Nikoru bowed respectfully. And before Irie could utter a reply, she ran off.

Irie blinked a few times, wondering if he imagined the giant black and white tiger that held Nikoru on its back as it ran away. Huh, he must have been spending too much time with Yuri, what with his current imagination and all.

Nikoru smiled as she felt the wind rush through her hair whilst riding Blue. It felt good to be back with _her_ Blue, not her Future self's Blue. The thought of leaving Blue once more brought Nikoru down a few notches. In the end, if Nikoru brought Present!Blue to the Future, one of the two tigers would have to die. Yuri had given a ten minute lecture about the paradox and its dangers to Nikoru when she brought this idea up.

When Nikoru got to Namimori Shrine, she blinked at the show before her. She absently watched Blue shrink back to his Minimized form before running off back home. Meanwhile, Yuri was desperately clinging onto one of shrine's poles while the others either tried to pry her off or coax her into letting go.

"What the sugar honey iced-tea is going on?" Nikoru questioned incredulously. She never did like profanities.

"Ah! Nikoru-chan!" Kyoko cried happily at her position beside Nikoru.

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan," she replied equally. "Say, what's going on with Yuri?" she sweat-dropped.

"Ah, Yuri-chan wants to stay a little longer," Kyoko informed her with slight worry.

"I wonder why…?" Nikoru pondered quietly. She walked up to her friend and punched her in the head. "Stupid Yuri, what are you doing?" she asked, abandoning all her reserved behaviour and adopting a harsher, reproving one.

Once Ryohei and Gokudera had halted in trying to forcibly remove the girl, Yuri sniffed haughtily at Nikoru. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the beep that left me unconscious in the park. Alone."

Nikoru blinked and a grin fell onto her lips. "Beep?" she echoed disbelievingly.

Yuri huffed. "It's not like I can call you less-than-nice names whilst these beeps are here, right?"

"True," Nikoru conceded, but was still grinning. She squatted down by the pole-hugging Yuri. "Why are you so desperate to stay here?"

Yuri sniffed as fat tears formed in her orbs. "I didn't get to say goodbye to Shoichi!"

Nikoru blinked. Oh.

"Tch, why is he always the source of our problems?" Gokudera snorted.

Yuri's tears immediately disappeared as she sent a fiery glare at Gokudera. "What was that, you old man?" she yelled, outraged.

Nikoru took this opportunity to bring the Ten Year Bazooka over Yuri's head. "Mission accomplished," she smiled while watching the others go back to the Future.

"Thanks for that, Nikoru-san," Tsuna smiled gratefully.

Nikoru returned the warm smile. "It's fine, Tsuna-kun." She noticed Tsuna's distressed posture. "Don't worry about Hibari-san, he already went ahead," she said.

Tsuna started. "E-Eh? He did? Oh, thank goodness," he murmured with a heavy sigh.

"Hurry up, Tsuna," Reborn ordered, efficiently sending Tsuna to the Future with a kick to the head. "You coming, Nikoru?" he asked patiently.

"Yeah," Nikoru answered absentmindedly. "I'll be right after you," she promised.

Reborn nodded and jumped into the purple device.

"Irie-kun, Yuri says bye," Nikoru spoke to seemingly no one. She grinned before returning ten years into the future.

Irie crept out from his hiding spot once the temple was abandoned, thus peaceful. "See you soon, Yuri," he smiled gently.

Minimized Blue yawned from atop of Irie's head whilst Naru-chan ruffled his feathers by his seat on the boy's shoulder. For some unexplainable reason, small animals seemed to be attracted towards to the redhead. When Yuri noted this, she entrusted Nikoru's partner as well as her own to him. Since they were in the Future and would remain so for a while, someone needed to take care of the animals.

Irie sighed heavily. "I feel like a babysitter…" he mumbled dejectedly and carried the violet bazooka back home. "Namimori will sure be a lot calmer now."

Well, for a few days, it would be.

* * *

_Published date:_ 28-09-10


	19. Enter: The Real Six Funeral Wreaths

**Author's rants: **Looky, Reborn isn't coming back until next year in Autumn (Australia)/Spring (America). :}

Akira Amano is totally hopeless, I swear...

* * *

Chapter 19

_Enter: The Real Six Funeral Wreaths_

Yuri stood in Merone Base next to Nikoru, bored. She was extremely bored. Yuri was so bored that she began daydreaming about certain gory things. So, naturally, since she was so bored, she pounced on every comment and mocked it.

"That's right!" Tsuna exclaimed in realization. "What about Byakuran? Does he know that we were gone?" he asked worriedly.

"It's fine," Irie assured him, as well as everyone else who was as worried as Tsuna. "Only ten minutes have passed since you've been sent to the past."

Yuri raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Are they even going to question how that's possible or how unbelievable it seems?" she asked with a scowl. "It was a rhetorical question," Yuri added when she saw Nikoru open her mouth to reply.

"Considering how you're just going to grumble to yourself and complain, is there even a reason why I'm here?" Nikoru asked curiously.

Yuri turned to look at Nikoru. "There is a reason I say it aloud, you know. It's so that you can note the things that happen and have no explanation. Plus," she added when Nikoru continued to stare blankly, "I like your company." She grinned.

Once Nikoru smiled in return, Yuri turned away and shook her head. This action resulted in a bruise to her cranium, thanks to one of Nikoru's hard punches.

Whilst Yuri rubbed her head reflexively, her eyes wandered over to one of the doors as it slid open automatically. TYL!Bianchi and TYL!Fuuta walked in, followed by the solemn-looking Haru and Kyoko.

Yuri blinked. Huh, it seemed like the two girls actually had other feelings than sadness. They could truly become selfish if they wanted to. Then again, wouldn't most people want to know sooner or later what everyone else knew? Yuri frowned as her chain of thoughts became more complex. However, it took a while for Haru and Kyoko to finally ask for the truth.

Nikoru cast a discrete glance at Yuri. Judging by the slight narrow of her friend's blue eyes, Nikoru deduced that Yuri was thinking intensely. Following Yuri's scrutinizing stare, Nikoru realized that Yuri was inwardly ranting about Kyoko's and Haru's demand for information.

"We're very unhappy about this!" Haru stated, vouching for Kyoko.

"We want to help out too!" Kyoko added fervently, punctuating Haru's statement.

Yuri immediately took what she said previously back. She was wrong, Haru and Kyoko weren't being selfish; they simply wanted to help out. Yuri suppressed an exasperated groan. How could they want to help out when they knew nothing at all?

"U-Uh," Tsuna stammered, struggling to find a reasonable reply to soothe Kyoko and Haru's frustration. "Thank you. And, you know, I appreciate the thought, but you shouldn't be here." Tsuna's frantic mind relaxed somewhat, thinking that his response would keep them from questioning any more than they already had.

"Why is that?" Haru pressed.

Apparently, Tsuna was wrong.

"Well, that's because, umm…" he trailed off tentatively and looked down at the ground.

Sensing Tsuna's silent turmoil, Ryohei continued for him. "It's because the men have manly business to take care of," he said seriously.

Nikoru, although expecting an inane answer - since it was Ryohei and all - sweatdropped at problematic response.

"But what about Yuri-chan and Nikoru-chan?" Haru shot back. "They're girls too!"

Yuri flinched visibly. "Don't drag us into this!" she said, sounding almost desperate as she held her hands up in a conciliating gesture. "Besides," she continued casually, "Nikoru's a guy, what with her flat chest and all." Yuri then proceeded to point at the aforementioned appendage.

Nikoru realized that she couldn't add another bruise to Yuri's head since so many eyes were on them, so she instead gave an uncharacteristic, challenging smirk. "You're jealous of the conveniences of a flat chest."

Tsuna flushed deeply. Not this conversation again! Although a large part of his mind was complaining about the casualness of such a personal topic, a smaller, more reasonable section silently thanked Yuri for her distraction. But did she change the topic on purpose, or was it her typical, random outburst? Another part of his mind realized how accurate Yuri's statement was, causing him to have a slight nosebleed.

Nikoru shared a discrete meaningful gaze with Yuri. The distraction worked. Everybody else simply believed that Yuri commented about Nikoru's chest size because it was just a spur of the moment thing. But the people who had knowledge of how cunning Yuri was, obviously knew better.

"So," Nikoru picked up where Ryohei left off with a smile, "Haru-chan, Kyoko-chan, don't worry. You'll find out soon enough. I promised that we would go back to the Past - which we did, just not permanently - and I was right, wasn't I?" Nikoru asked rhetorically. Seeing no one disagreeing, she smiled in satisfaction. "I assure you that you will find out all you want sooner or later." And it was true, but Nikoru didn't want to make anyone aware of that little fact.

The non-combatant girls nodded hesitantly, silently placing their trust onto Nikoru. Even if Nikoru wouldn't tell them, they would still find out with their own power. With this resolute thought in mind, both Kyoko and Haru returned to the Vongola base.

Reborn shifted his gaze from Irie's computer screen to Yuri and Nikoru. The way Nikoru phrased her guarantee was quite misleading and could be interpreted in different ways. Reborn stared at Nikoru critically, as if his gaze would unravel all her secrets.

Obviously, since Nikoru was able to view this world from her own, she knew what was going to happen on later. This was surprising, and somewhat disturbing. If Nikoru knew what would transpire afterwards, then she and Yuri could do something to stop it before anything drastic happened. This was, after all, the Mafia. However, that would only be so if Nikoru chose to interfere, and if Yuri allowed her to do so.

It was alarming because the girls might have had knowledge of secrets that others weren't meant to know. A few examples that Reborn knew from the top of his head would be the secrets of the Arcobaleno, and more importantly, secrets about Reborn himself. Being a hitman in the form of a toddler unable to die of old age, Reborn had many secrets.

The way Nikoru worded her promise piqued Reborn's interest somewhat. Nikoru never said that she would be the one to reveal all about the Mafia to them. It was very misleading and elusive. Furthermore, Nikoru also didn't tell them who would notify them or when, she merely told them that they would _somehow_ find out.

This was all very troublesome.

oOoOo

Yuri didn't understand. "I don't get it, like, one bit," she admitted crossly whilst staring at Byakuran's hologram. "Currently, he looks all cool and mysterious, but Akira Amano turns him into some crazed maniac later on. What bullshit," Yuri told Nikoru, scowling intensely.

Nikoru waited patiently for Irie's fake Ring to shatter before replying. "I know what you mean," she sighed softly. "The Future arc starts out so awesomely, but it deteriorates later on."

Yuri ceased their hushed conversation there as another hologram appeared, this time of the real six Funeral Wreaths. Bluebell appeared so peaceful, sleeping blissfully. It was such a shame how Byakuran manipulated her feelings and killed her without hesitation later on. That bastard.

Nikoru clenched her fists. How could Zakuro destroy his homeland so easily? It was so beautiful, and yet… "That's too cruel!" she cried aloud, stunning everyone.

"Oh?" Byakuran opened his eyes to take a good look at Nikoru. "And who are you?" he asked curiously.

Nikoru could see the suspicion in Byakuran's eyes despite his seemingly permanent smile. Her jaw clenched unintentionally. "Shirobara Nikoru," she introduced, obviously straining to keep the disrespect out of her voice.

"Hmm," Byakuran hummed thoughtfully as his brain searched through any clues to who Nikoru was. He found none. Instead of downright interrogating Nikoru now, he kept his carefree mask on. "Scary, right?" he asked, gesturing to the image of the once-beautiful picturesque scene that was now a burning hell.

Yuri barely showed any reaction to Nikoru's unpredictable outburst. After all, Nikoru was touchy when it came to nature. Yuri cared too, but she was only as sensitive when it came to fauna, not so much flora. Whether that was a pro or con was debatable. She gazed sadly at her enraged friend.

"When I asked him to show me his resolve, I didn't expect him to eradicate the village he grew up in." Byakuran's hologram continued smiling, not disturbed at all by the horrid images or even the prospect of the aforementioned actions. "Or the people he grew up in…" he added, as though it were an afterthought.

Anger burned in Nikoru's usually soft eyes. She was about to lash out, but then she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Baka-Bossu, relax."

Baka-Bossu was Yuri's nickname for Nikoru. It brought back evocative memories of their old world where they were all so carefree. Back then, Nikoru and Yuri created a 'Famiglia' based off of Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Yuri was the Storm Guardian, Nikoru's right-hand man. It fit perfectly.

Yuri smiled as Nikoru's tense posture relaxed at the nostalgic nickname. "Remember, it's only a story. Fiction. Meaning that this isn't exactly real," she reminded Nikoru quietly as Zakuro was shown bathing in the lava.

Nikoru locked gazes with Yuri. "But…now that we're here and experiencing it all, isn't it actually real? We feel pain, we feel emotions. Doesn't that symbolize that we're living this world?"

Yuri frowned, not liking what Nikoru was leading onto at all. "But we're going back to our own world, right?"

Nikoru bit her lip apprehensively. She saw the glimmer of hope in Yuri's eyes, and didn't want to crush it. "I…don't think we are," she murmured quietly.

The sparkle of hope diminished as everything around Yuri became mute and dull.

Unbeknownst to Nikoru, Yuri was going to stress herself out over the next few days because of what Nikoru said.

oOoOo

Tsuna was, in short, worried. Even though he wanted to taste Kyoko's lunch so badly, his mind was elsewhere. Yuri…was acting weird today. Well, she was always weird, but she seemed out of it earlier this afternoon. Her eyes were glazed over and it appeared that she was lost in thought, thinking intently.

Even as the Ring teleportation system made the earth tremble, Yuri made no outward reaction. Other than the fact that Yuri's chest heaved up and down, and the fact that she was blinking, Tsuna would have believed that Yuri was replaced with a statue. A sentient statue.

When the group headed out of Merone Base and back to the Vongola base, Yuri wasn't aware of anything so Nikoru had to drag her by the hand. She didn't even say goodbye to Irie. That was truly shocking, or did she still hold the grudge where Irie sent her to the Future at an inconvenient time? After all, Yuri's priorities weren't exactly set straight.

And now, after Basil had gone through mountain-loads of food, Yuri had barely touched hers. What got her into thinking so much that she would even put _food_ off?

Tsuna ran a hair through his nest of hair in frustration and confusion. There was only one thing to do.

"Nikoru-san, what's wrong with Yuri?" he asked, worried.

Gokudera glanced at Yuri as the words left his boss' mouth. The stupid girl was staring deeply into her meal, chopsticks absentmindedly picking at her stir-fried vegetables. To Gokudera, the sight was annoying.

"Don't worry, Tenth. When it comes to this girl, who knows what's going on in her tiny mind," he scoffed, returning to his food.

Tsuna laughed nervously. W-Was what Gokudera-kun said a good thing or a bad thing?

Gokudera had insulted Yuri loud enough that most people occupying the kitchen space could hear - well, the ones that were able to hear over Ryohei's exclamations on how delicious the food was, could.

Yuri remained quiet, lost in thought.

Tsuna was waiting for the predictable reaction that normally occurred whenever Gokudera insulted Yuri. However, he was surprised to see Yuri unresponsive whatsoever.

Nikoru, who was beside Tsuna and on the opposite of Yuri, frowned in concern at the display. "She's figuring something out," she answered. "And judging by how glazed over her eyes are, it's inflicting her emotions."

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked. Nikoru-san sounded as though she knew something… "Do you know what she's thinking about?"

Nikoru stared at Tsuna's forehead rather than his eyes. "No," she lied through her teeth.

"Oh, okay," Tsuna said, ending the conversation there. Something seemed off with Nikoru as well. Was she lying? Tsuna had an inkling that she was. But, Nikoru only lied if there was a good reason for it. Tsuna remained nonplussed but shoved it out of his mind and commenced eating his lunch.

"Yuri," Nikoru addressed in a superior tone, one she rarely used, "eat first."

Yuri's head inched upwards ever-so slowly as a light of realization hit her eyes. "Okay," she mumbled humbly.

Nikoru nodded, satisfied with her work.

Even though Yuri obeyed Nikoru's orders, her mind was still elsewhere. She ate absently, almost mechanically. To stay in this world or to go back to her old world was the question plaguing her mind.

If she left, then she would no longer be able to see Irie. That thought made Yuri's heart ache horribly. But, then again, the people surrounding her were unbearable and just plain annoying. She would be forced to see them all the time, that notion made her scowl in anger.

Also, Nikoru would want to stay considering that she had no problem with any of the character. She would especially stay because of her Box Weapons and Tsuna.

To return to her old world without Nikoru would be saddening. Yuri was loyal to Nikoru and wanted to stay by her side, protecting her smile. Now Yuri realized how Gokudera felt towards Tsuna.

Even though Nikoru wouldn't be there, Yuri's old friends that she viewed as family would still be. But they were probably going to be separated next year when they progressed into a new grade, meaning that her classmates would be most likely split up.

Yuri released an irritated breath that sounded like a mix between a sigh and a groan. She placed her chopsticks beside her plate of now-cold food and left the kitchen without a word, worried and curious gazes watching her all the way.

Nikoru sighed. "Sorry, Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan," she said, apologizing in place of Yuri. "Yuri has a lot on her mind."

"I hope she's okay…" Kyoko whispered sadly.

"Don't worry. Yuri-chan is the most energetic girl that I know," Haru smiled as she wrapped Yuri's untouched food and stored it into the fridge.

"But there are some things can keep even Yuri down…" Nikoru murmured incoherently, a nauseous feeling settling within her stomach. She sighed before taking the final bite of her omelette.

Yuri headed to one of the numerous training rooms to release her suppressed frustration. Once in the centre of the room and after checking that no one else was watching, Yuri concentrated on figuring out what her resolve was.

To return to the Past? No, that was Tsuna's resolve. To protect? That was Nikoru's. Yuri focused on why she wanted to light her Ring so badly.

After several minutes of finding reasons and then discarding them because they had a fault, Yuri found it. Her resolve was the same reason why she so desperately wanted to join the Disciplinary Committee that she would have kissed the ground Hibari walked on.

She wanted to obtain power because she didn't want to be pushed around without fighting back. And she needed power to fight back. Originally, her resolve was because she wanted people to be wary of her power, but then she remembered a piece of advice her Death Note told her.

Deception.

Yuri's Future self wanted her Past self to deceive everyone so that they thought that she was a simple-minded idiot. Well, Yuri had already begun doing so, but her mask was badly ruined. It was finely-tuned, but there were multiple cracks everywhere. It was time to fix her mask and keep it in place once and for all.

Yuri watched intently as a black Flame danced atop of the surface of her Ring. A sudden idea struck her. Slowly, Yuri used one of her fingers from her ring-less hand to poke the Flame. It burned painfully.

She hissed in pain and inspected the scorching finger carefully. It was slightly wrinkled and charred, but after five seconds, the wound was healed as though it were never there in the first place.

Yuri blinked in surprise. Even though all the proof of damage was gone, Yuri could still feel the blood in the tip of her injured finger throb dangerously. Normally, this would have made Yuri angry, but was intrigued instead. A lethal Flame that could inflict long-term injuries on someone without any lasting proof?

It was perfect.

It suited Yuri's destructive personality quite well. Now to check out her Box Weapons…

Though it was supposed to be a means to vent out her anguish, Yuri found her self-assigned training to be relatively fascinating.

oOoOo

Chrome was attempting to reach out to Mukuro and talk to him. She was lonely. And she was worried about his condition. Irie had told her that he was alive, but that didn't mean he wasn't injured. After all, she owed Mukuro-sama a great debt for saving her life and giving her another chance.

She gave a small sigh of resignation for the umpteenth time today as she cancelled the search. Her mindscape, the usual place where she and Mukuro spoke, was found to be completely empty. It was, honestly, depressing.

As Chrome drowned herself in self-pity, there was a soft tap on her door. Starting slightly, Chrome carefully crept up to the door, as if it would explode if she was too hasty.

She opened the door marginally, enough room for her single eye to peek outside. She looked ahead of her, but saw no one. Just in case, she opened the door wider and was able to poke her head through.

Chrome felt something soft brush against her ankle and reflexively shut the door with a deafening bang. She blinked innocently before frowning. She was getting paranoid. Chrome rubbed her eyes languidly as she strode towards her bed, planning on taking a nap. However, she paused when she noticed a small cat sitting on the aforementioned piece of furniture.

"A cat…?" she wondered aloud, curious as to how a cat entered the underground base.

The black feline meowed enthusiastically in response, its belled-collar moving slightly. The action caused the package being held by the cat's canines to fall lightly onto the white sheets of Chrome's bed.

"An onigiri?" she asked, holding up the packaged item in her hand. The clear plastic was obviously the same ones used in convenience stores. Another mystery.

Chrome gracefully sat on the edge of her bed, peering at the rice ball. True, she was hungry, but it would be her first real food in a while and she was unsure if her stomach could handle it.

As though sensing her worry, the cat nudged Chrome's elbow encouragingly.

Chrome obeyed the silent request and unwrapped the plastic protecting the onigiri and took a tentative bite of the rice. Her stomach approved, as did her mouth.

"Do you want some too?" Chrome inquired softly, gazing questioningly at the animal.

The cat shook its head, causing the silver bell to tinkle musically. It proceeded to crawl onto Chrome's lap and curl into a comfortable ball, taking a nap.

Chrome remained unfazed at the fact that the cat had understood her, and instead inspected the blue, leather collar. It reminded her of Yuri's collar. Maybe this cat was Yuri's pet?

Whilst she silently pondered on this, the cat smiled victoriously. Silly girl, trying to starve herself, Neko!Yuri thought disappointingly before closing her dark-blue eyes and succumbing to sleep.

Stupid Box Weapons making her extremely happy and causing her to transform into her cat form. Yuri vaguely wondered what they were doing now…

oOoOo

"Our future homes?" Gokudera repeated incredulously.

"We've gotten permission to see them," Haru elaborated animatedly, not noticing Gokudera's frown.

"We can all go together!" Kyoko continued, sharing Haru's glee.

"I'm…not really interested," Gokudera replied, looking away uncomfortably.

Both girls were confused by his lack of enthusiasm.

"Don't you want to know what's happened to your home ten's years into the future?" Haru asked, dumbfounded.

Seeing how it was no use, Kyoko turned to the unusually silent Yamamoto. "What about you, Yamamoto-kun?" she asked hopefully.

"Ah," Yamamoto was caught off-guard, his eyebrows scrunched up into a frown. He gazed sadly at the innocent girls.

Yuri scowled deeply, hatred visible in her blue eyes. Haru and Kyoko were so hopeless! Couldn't they see the blatant agony displayed in the boys' expressions? How could they make Yamamoto look so sad? It was so…unnatural. And Gokudera - who Yuri respected after empathizing with his feelings for his boss - especially.

She released a long-suffering sigh as she continued glaring hatefully at the show in front of her.

Nikoru could easily feel the hostility Yuri was emanating miles away. "Yuri, they're naïve and don't know the true horrors of the world yet, especially the Mafia. Give them a break," she said.

Yuri's glare lessened as she faced Nikoru. "They could at least notice their painful expressions," she growled.

"C-Can we go by ourselves, maybe?" Tsuna offered nervously to the girls.

"How come?" Kyoko asked.

"Don't be like that," Haru complained. "Everyone should go together!"

Yuri snapped. She wanted to scream 'No! Don't **you** be like that and you can't tell people what to do!' but knew she couldn't. The girls would look hurt and, despite what her attitude said otherwise, Yuri faltered when she was the eyes of upset people. She was too nice that way. And she hated it.

So, instead, she unleashed her Box Weapon. Yuri fluidly yanked her white Box Weapon with a black star on it, and lit her Ring with the dark and hot flame. A giant, black crow immediately shot out of the compartment and charged blindly ahead.

"KYAA!" Haru and Kyoko both yelped as the large bird swept in front of them.

As a wide space was cleared from in between the boys and the girls, Yuri smirked victoriously before feigning shock. "AHH! Come back, Cooro!" she cried desperately, running through the clearance.

Nikoru rolled her eyes at the theatrics and informed the rest that she would accompany them.

Tsuna was relieved that Yuri had managed to distract them and tear away the awkward silence. Once again, he was left wondering whether or not it was intentional. All in all, he was glad that she was back to normal and no longer so lifeless.

"Idiotic girl," Gokudera insulted loudly, but privately thanked Yuri for eliminating the uncomfortable moment.

Yamamoto grinned. He didn't really care what Yuri had just done, but was glad that she was out of her empty shell and back to her crazy self.

Once she had turned a corner and was out of hearing-range, Yuri's mask crumbled away to reveal her disinterested expression.

"Cooro," she said, causing the crow to halt and fly back.

Cooro, just like in +Anima. Yuri gave an honest grin as the crow landed on her outstretched arm. She winced visibly as the claws dug into her skin. Ah well, at least no blood was drawn out.

Cooro was easily as large as Lambo, afro included. Actually, if Yuri placed the two side-by-side, then Cooro had a high chance of towering over the cow-boy. Cooro's power, on the other hand, would remain a secret unless there was a dire need to expose and unleash it.

Both her Box Weapons certainly were interesting, as well as lethal.

oOoOo

Yuri sat in the base's enormous bath and yawned hugely. She held the Death Note in her hands and read it with interest. No, she wasn't being reckless by bringing a book made out of paper and cardboard into a pool of water, the Death Note was indestructible. If Yuri cared enough, she would have questioned as to how that was possible.

_Right, so, this is just in case you're wondering whether or not you should stay in this world. No, I'm not gonna say some cliché crap like: 'listen to your heart'. Hearts don't have mouths, thus they can't talk. Idiots._

Yuri grinned from ear-to-ear.

_Moving on… You should stay here. Yeah, yeah, the people here annoy you, but that's better than that family of ours, right? I thought so. And it would be hard to say farewell to Shoichi, right? _

Her lips curled up at the mention of her family, but smiled when she thought of Irie.

_It's been nine years and ten months, and I'm still here. I hardly see Haru and Kyoko anymore (thank God), so it's fine. Stay here. It's the best choice considering what awaits you on the other side…_

Yuri's tension vanished and she placed her journal to the side. The cold water wasn't as unbearable as before as the time passed, and she had come to embrace the feeling. Bathing in cold water was relaxing, after all. Yuri sunk further until she was neck deep in the cool liquid.

The Death Note had also explained how the Box Weapons operated. The white Box with the black star contained Cooro, a large crow that had Flames protruding from the tips of its tail feathers. The Box Animal was constructed to injure multiple enemies.

If Yuri wished so, then Cooro would shed multiple feathers filled with Dying Will Flames while flying above the enemies. Once the feathers made contact with any surface, it would begin burning the aforementioned surface. This was possible because of Yuri's Flame type. Since the feather would be half-filled with Flames, then it would act the same way the Flame would when by itself. There would be no proof of what exactly caused the enemies pain - the Flames were contained inside of the feather, and not the outside - just the feathers themselves.

Of course, the person in question could easily flick the feather off, but since Cooro unleashed multiple feathers, then there would be some difficulty in ridding all of them before the pain commenced.

If Yuri poured enough Flames to fill the entire feather, then the enemy wouldn't be able to remove it without difficulty. It would be as if the feather was acting like a leech, clinging onto the surface with all its might.

However, while the latter was more efficient, it was draining. And since Dying Will Flame were the physical bodies of stamina, Yuri would be completely exhausted - or even unconscious - that she couldn't do anything afterwards. That proved to be a disadvantage in case she needed to escape a dangerous situation.

Her second Box Weapon, the black one with the white star, was less noticeable and much smaller.

In short, it was a fly that could discover someone's first and foremost fear. When Yuri released that Box Weapon, she almost punched herself in the face when she saw it was a common household fly. But after reading the Death Note and its explanations, she was stunned and glad to have it.

The fly worked more or less liked Cooro did. The fly needed to latch itself onto the top of the enemy's head and look through the brain and its contents. Once the fly unearthed the person's worst fear, it would fly back to Yuri and inform her telepathically said fear.

Yuri would then figure out how to use it to her advantage or notify an illusionist - such as Mukuro, Chrome, Fran, etc - and ask them to create a certain scene that would cause the individual to quiver in trepidation.

If only she was an illusionist or had a Mist Ring and Box…

Shoving all thought of the Boxes' mechanisms away, Yuri focused on what was the most important thing on her mind presently.

She needed to give the fly a name.

oOoOo

"Where have you been, Yuri-san?" Tsuna asked wearily, sighing for a reason Yuri couldn't comprehend.

"Taking a bath?" she replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, maybe it was considering her attire. She looked at it pointedly.

"Oh- _HIIIIIIII_!" Tsuna shrieked piercingly, causing to Yuri's eye to twitch ever-so slightly. He used his hand to cover his overflowing nosebleed. Yuri was only wearing a towel.

Yuri ran a hand through her wet hair. "He does realize I'm wearing undergarments beneath this towel, right?" she wondered aloud, glancing at a smiling Nikoru.

Nikoru rolled her eyes amiably. "Yeah, _of course_ he does," she said teasingly. "You were gone for three hours, what were you doing?"

"Taking a bath?" Yuri repeated, inclining her head persuasively.

Nikoru blinked. "For three hours?"

"What can I say? It relaxes me," she shrugged. "The water washes away all my tension and uneasiness," she clarified, grabbing a small tub of ice-cream out of the fridge. "But if anyone else asks me, I spent three hours there because I fell asleep." Yuri glanced at the unconscious Tsuna, confirming that he was too out of it to hear the conversation.

"Umm, sure," Nikoru agreed somewhat hesitantly. "Anyway, Tsuna-kun was looking for you because he wanted to know if you were joining us as we looked around Namimori tomorrow," she told her friend cheerfully.

"No," Yuri answered almost immediately, piling another scoop of ice-cream into her bowl. "I've already seen Namimori countless times. I'm gonna spend my day training, reading, and visiting Megane-chan."

Tsuna, by now, was back to normal. He wiped the remaining blood away with a tissue Nikoru had given to him. "You really love Irie-san, don't you?" he murmured quietly, but loud enough for both girls to hear.

Yuri's eyes softened manifestly as she placed the spoon into her heap of ice-cream. "Yeah," she breathed. "Every time I think of him, I smile so hugely that I have to shut my eyes from the effort. Sometimes even tears pile into my eyes, but once I smile, they disappear." True to her words, Yuri gave the biggest smile the two members of the audience had ever seen and closed her distant eyes.

Tsuna and Nikoru shared a glance with one another. This Yuri seemed so odd, but in a good way. She appeared so peaceful and…more mature. She was evidently a love-struck teenager.

It was ironically amusing to Nikoru. Ever since Yuri witnessed the countless relationships made foolishly by hormonal teenagers, she had been a major supporter of 'Don't fall in love. Fall off a bridge. It probably hurts less' and repeated it frequently.

Nikoru was extremely happy for Yuri and was relieved to know that it was with someone as reliable as Irie.

"Well," Yuri said suddenly, breaking the contemplative silence, "I'm going to get changed," she grinned, back to her usual self.

Fortunately for the people in charge of cleaning the kitchen floors, Tsuna was too absorbed in his own thoughts to register Yuri's words.

Upon seeing Tsuna, Nikoru suppressed a groan. Great, Tsuna was acting just like Yuri had previously. There was a high chance that he was over-thinking something too. Over-thinking didn't do any good, it just caused more stress and worry.

While Yuri left with her bowl of ice-cream, humming merrily around the spoon in her mouth, Nikoru covertly guessed at what Tsuna was ruminating over.

Well, since Yuri was talking about love so profoundly and intensely, Tsuna must be thinking along the lines of love. Nikoru's mind immediately went to Kyoko. Now she understood. Was he questioning whether he really loved Kyoko, or was it just admiration?

If Yuri were in her position, she would have rolled her eyes impatiently and sneered. But Nikoru wasn't like Yuri. She didn't hold animosity toward Kyoko, nor did she find Tsuna a foolish boy.

So she did was she would usually do. She smiled comfortingly. "Having second thoughts?" she queried with mild amusement.

Her fangirl crush blinked, surprised. "How did you know?" he asked incredulously, wide-eyed.

"You're like an open book to me, Tsuna-kun. You wear your emotions on your face like Yuri does." Most of the time, she added silently. Yuri did tend to wear a mask occasionally.

Tsuna was down-hearted and Nikoru's blatant deduction, but soon pulled himself together. "Y-Yeah. Nikoru-san, what do you think? Do I actually love K-Kyoko-chan?" his face flushed with embarrassment as he verbally admitted that he had a crush on Kyoko.

Nikoru hummed thoughtfully. In truth, when compared to Yuri's love for Irie, Tsuna's admiration for Kyoko was merely admiration. Nikoru even went as far to call it a crush. But she couldn't smash Tsuna's hopes like that. Yuri would do that later, Nikoru was sure of that.

"You have to remember this, Tsuna-kun, Yuri is in love with Irie-san - there's a difference between just love and being _in_ _love_."

"That's very confusing," Tsuna whispered, deadpan.

Nikoru smiled. "Well, when you love somebody, it's when you care deeply for them and don't want any harm to come to them. Like how you love Reborn," she fought the urge to grin at the prospect of yaoi. Seeing Tsuna about to retort with a blush, Nikoru amended, "The same way you love your mom." She paused. "And your dad too, I guess."

Tsuna sighed in relief. He did care for Reborn, but to call it love? No way! He coughed uncomfortably. "And in love?" he asked quietly.

"Same thing as love, but with lust, I suppose," Nikoru said casually. "Yuri loves Hibari-san and Mukuro, and I'm afraid that's all…" she trailed off sadly. "But she's in love with Irie-san."

Tsuna's eyes widened. "Hibari-san? And even Mukuro?" he screeched disbelievingly.

"Yep," Nikoru answered brightly, unaffected whatsoever. It was no surprise Yuri would care for them, after all. Yuri only liked mature people, and not foolish, overly-innocent ones like Tsuna.

"Thanks for clearing that up, Nikoru-san," Tsuna told her with a smile.

Nikoru returned the gesture. She ruffled his hair comfortingly. "Anytime, Tsuna-kun," she said, walking out of the kitchen with her own bowl of ice-cream - boysenberry, of course.

Tsuna never realized that Nikoru had purposely dodged his actual question.

oOoOo

Yuri stared at the pair in front of her with blank eyes. Haru and Kyoko gazed at her bright, innocent, and most irritatingly of all, wishful eyes.

"No," she declined instantly, not giving the chance for any of the girls to open their mouths. Ugh, she was doing her best to hide from them, she even spent three hours in the bath, just floating and thinking. She normally spent around just one hour, so an extra two displayed how dedicated she was in running away.

"Eh?" the girls chorused.

Haru, as usual, spoke up first. "How did you know what we going to say?" she asked, waving her arms about wildly.

Yuri's eyebrow arched up sardonically. Any idiot could tell what Haru and Kyoko were going to ask if they observed them enough. "It's because I'm that awesome," she said, playing her role perfectly.

"I see," Haru murmured, sweat-dropping. "But why don't you want to come?" she whined, pouting stubbornly.

"It'll be fun, Yuri-chan," Kyoko prompted cheerfully. "Aren't curious as to what happened to your house?"

"I have all the information I need," she responded evasively, indicating to her Death Note that was in her hands. "I was told that my Future self set my apartment on fine," she shrugged offhandedly.

Haru and Kyoko were glued to the spot, eyes wide with bewilderment and curiosity.

Yuri yawned dispassionately. "Something about testing how long it would take for the firemen to arrive - we do live in a society where pizza comes before the police. But then she realized that once they arrived and noticed there was no fire, she would be deep trouble. So she came to once conclusion. She purposely set one part of her apartment on fire. Who knew fire would spread so quickly…" Yuri trailed off, shaking her head as she left the two girls blinking owlishly.

Truth was, Yuri's Future self only burned her apartment down intentionally because she didn't want to leave any hints of her connection with Irie. Since their apartments were right next to each other, wouldn't it be too coincidental? Well, in the eyes of the Mafioso, Kuraihana Yuri disappeared as soon as the mysterious raven-haired, bespectacled girl entered and joined forces with the Millefiore.

How complicated.

oOoOo

Nikoru stretched her arms above her head lethargically as a yawn escaped her lips. Visiting Namimori's stores and seeing Dino at Namimori Middle wore Nikoru out quickly.

After going through her morning routine and changing into her usual outfit, Nikoru headed towards the kitchen for breakfast. If she wasn't mistaken, this was the juncture where Chrome would refuse to eat and then both Kyoko and Haru turned her into one of them, as Yuri had so eloquently put it.

As the automatic doors slid open - Nikoru had to question why Giannini bothered to place automatic ones rather than the normal, manual ones - the smell of pancakes wafted towards her nose appetizingly.

Why were the girls so specialized in cooking whereas the guys couldn't even make rice? Nikoru realized in silent horror that Yuri's constant complaining was rubbing off of her.

She sighed softly and sat next to her friend who was, surprisingly, already seated several moments before Nikoru had even woken up. It was shocking because everybody knew that Yuri wasn't a morning person.

Yuri rolled her eyes at Nikoru's gawk. "Yeah, yeah, I woke up early," she grumbled disdainfully.

Nikoru continued to stare at Yuri. "Not that," she dismissed. "I mean what you're wearing."

"What?" Yuri raised a condescending brow. "It's just my PJ's," she stated, stuffing one whole pancake into her mouth.

"White socks that barely reach mid-thigh, really short shorts, and a tank top that doesn't even reach your naval," Nikoru listed to a chewing Yuri. "Yeah, nothing wrong with it at all," she remarked wryly.

Yuri grinned. "It's comfortable," she said as Nikoru received her own plate of pancakes.

"And revealing," Nikoru added before thanking Haru for the food.

Yuri snorted. Nikoru found that amazing since Yuri in the midst of swallowing her second pancake. "It's not like you see my cleavage or anything. Just my stomach, that's all," she argued with her mouth full.

"I'm not worried about you revealing your skin," Nikoru corrected Yuri with an incredulous gaze. "But the others will feel awkward seeing you like that." She added some syrup onto her breakfast. "Like Tsuna-kun and the other guys."

Yuri shrugged neutrally. "In a few years, they'd wish a girl would dress like this," she muttered with a smirk.

Nikoru slapped a pancake into Yuri's face. Without a moment of hesitation, Yuri devoured that same pancake. Wasting food wasn't good, it was against her morals.

Humans ate more than they required and destroyed the lives of numerous animals. Every twenty minutes, an animal died. Or did they become extinct? Yuri's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to recall what it was she learnt in science.

Whilst Yuri was focused on her inner monologue, Nikoru was accidentally drawn into a conversation with Tsuna, Kyoko, Haru, and Bianchi about Chrome's malnutrition. How she even got involved with the conversation remained a mystery to Nikoru.

"When Yuri and I visited Chrome, she didn't have trouble with accepting food," Nikoru whispered heedlessly.

"Yuri-san!" Tsuna cried, hope distinguishable in his undertone.

Yuri stopped in mid-chew as she glared at Nikoru, who shrunk back with an apologetic smile. Yuri had the decency to swallow before responding to the unvoiced request practically shining in Tsuna and the girls' eyes. "No," she echoed her earlier deadpan response.

She finished off the remaining juice in her glass in one go. "Don't try to guilt-trip and say crap like 'I'm uncaring' or whatever," she said, refraining from sneering. "I have my reasons," she told them coldly. Her icy mask wavered as her eyes widened in shock. Yuri promptly ran out of the room.

Nikoru tilted her head quizzically at Yuri's abrupt dash. She shrugged before eying the expressions the others were wearing. Yuri was certainly in one of her moods this morning. Waking up before noon on a day with no school was a sin in Yuri's books. Unless the base was under attack, then she was to remain asleep until she woke up naturally.

Looked like Nikoru was left to tend to the wounds Yuri had caused. She heaved a sigh. "Yuri knows that Chrome doesn't respond well to subconscious kindness, but she also doesn't want Chrome to rely on one person forever," she said carefully. A lie? Perhaps. Nikoru was unsure whether her deduction was accurate, but that was what she thought.

Kyoko and Haru peered at each other with worry-filled eyes.

Neko!Yuri's hackles rose heatedly. Stupid shape-shifting side affects! She hissed aloud from one of the base's countless corridors and stalked off with bared teeth.

* * *

**Author's notes: **You know, I was a little disappointed in the amount of reviews I received for the previous chapter. Reading and not reviewing is like STEALING, man. D':

YOU'RE ALL THIEVES! -cries-

In other news, we reached 100 REVIEWS~! CONGRATULATIONS, _crazeh-neko74_ for writing the hundredth review! As thanks, I'm going to write you a one-shot. You can name the characters, setting, etc.

BUT it can't just be something totally random, i.e. Hibari and Tsuna in a closet (-gag-). Yuri and Nikoru need to play a part, whether it be major (one of the main characters) or minor (they walk by). :D

_Published date: _07-10-10


	20. Enter: Future Dino

**Author's notes: **Does anyone actually read my author's notes? As in, all the time? :o HAHA! My somewhat guilt-tripping (down-right accusation) worked! :D :D :D _LOVE YA ALL~!_

Nikoru has a DeviantART account. LMAO, now she knows how nice it feels when people leave you reviews. :P

Link is on my profile~! :D

* * *

Chapter 20

_Enter: Future Dino_

Yamamoto Takeshi used the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat off of his brow. His Shigure Kintoki changed from the form of a katana back to its bamboo sword appearance. That was enough training for today. Now it was time to move onto practicing his riding skills.

As he changed into his casual clothing, Yamamoto reflected on how much his life had changed since he was sent into the Future. At first, he - as well as the others - thought that once they infiltrated Merone Base and took out Irie Shoichi, they would return to their time and forget the whole incident.

Yamamoto was quite confident in his abilities once he was able to easily light his Ring with the Rain Flame and envelop his Shigure Kintoki in the Flame. Especially after the Varia incident whence he learnt the Shigure Soen Ryu that was essential when it came to using the Shigure Kintoki. But all his effort was in vain as Genkishi had so generously displayed.

His eyes narrowed minutely before he directed his thoughts into a lighter direction.

Tsuna's development surprised Yamamoto somewhat. He always knew that deep down, Tsuna was a great leader. Although it had taken some meddling from Reborn, Tsuna soon cultivated numerous trustworthy friends, Yamamoto grinned as he recalled word for word what Gokudera had said.

One word quelled his cheeriness, or more specifically, one person. Byakuran - the man that had ruined so many lives and mercilessly killed innocents. Including Yamamoto's old man. The Vongola Rain Guardian's jovial chocolate orbs wavered slightly.

When he told Yuri of his old man's situation, she showed no fervent reaction. The reason Yamamoto told Yuri was because she had stayed over and had gotten to know Tsuyoshi over time. Yamamoto expected her to break down into tears, or show some emotion that indicated intense sadness or grief. After several years of politely rejecting many confessions from various girls, Yamamoto learned that most girls - even the ones that appeared tough at first glance like Yuri - had soft hearts and were quite emotional.

What he didn't know was that it depended on what situation would set individuals girls off. And hearing the death of Yamamoto Tsuyoshi wasn't it.

Rather than comforting Yuri, Yamamoto found himself being reassured instead. Yuri had given him a sad smile and told him that once they returned to the Past, they could prevent things like Tsuyoshi's death so that it would never happen.

Yamamoto was taken aback. He hadn't thought of that. Actually, neither had anyone else. It was a bit idiotic now that he reflected on it. It appeared that Yuri thought things through more than she had let on.

Kuraihana Yuri, eh? She was certainly full of mysteries. Yamamoto smiled as nostalgia flooded through him. Her attitude depended on who she was with. Say, if she were with Gokudera, she would either completely ignore him or inevitably start an argument with him. If she was near Tsuna, she would hug him and loudly comment on how cute he was or sneer at his innocence. The latter confused Yamamoto a little.

Nikoru, thankfully, wasn't as complex as her best friend was. When Yamamoto first got to know her, he identified her as quiet and a wallflower. But when Yuri made a wise remark, Nikoru unleashed a less reserved side. In short, she was herself when with Yuri. As time went on, Nikoru loosened up around others and build solid relationships with them. Where Yuri was lacking natural kindness for everyone, Nikoru possessed a seemingly countless supply. It was the same for Nikoru when it came to socializing with utter strangers.

"Takeshi!"

Yamamoto wondered if he could hear someone grinning. "Yo, Yuri," he greeted with a smile.

He was correct, Yuri was grinning. "I'm glad you're no longer sad anymore. People should smile more," she added absently with a blank face.

Yamamoto donned a genuine smile. "Thanks to you." He ruffled Yuri's hair genially.

Yuri absentmindedly smoothed her hair back. "Sorry for not coming to watch the baseball game you went to. I'm not really interested in sports," she said, chuckling nervously.

"It's fine, it's fine," he dismissed easily with a reassuring grin. Yamamoto was glad that he was able to help three of his underclassmen in some way - it made up for the fact that he wasn't able to do anything back in the Past. "Ah! Where's Nikoru?" he inquired suddenly.

"Making out with Tsuna in a closet," Yuri answered instantaneously.

"I didn't know they got together," Yamamoto said quietly with a blank face.

Yuri was visibly disappointed with the lack of reaction. "I was joking. She's just watching him attempt to ride the airbike," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I don't know what that boy is complaining about. Just because he wasn't able to ride a bike until fourth grade… I still don't know how to ride one," Yuri grumbled crossly.

"You don't?" Yamamoto asked incredulously, eyes widening. "You should get someone to teach you."

"Meh. No point, really." The tone used signaled the end of the conversation. She shook her head and grinned. Yuri bade her farewell and skipped off down the corridor.

Now she had to return to searching for Cooro and her apparently shape-shifting fly Box Animal. Stupid journal not mentioning anything of the fly being able to morph into any animal it laid its eyes on.

oOoOo

With Tsuna finally finished with learning the basics of the airbike, Nikoru knew that the girls' boycott would happen soon. She was pondering on which side she should side with, when Yamamoto pointed something out.

"Have you guys noticed how Yuri never eats with us?" he said over the usual clinking of utensils during dinner.

"Now that you mention it…" Tsuna whispered, wide-eyed.

"And Yuri says I'm slow," Nikoru commented, shaking her head ruefully.

"You are slow," a voice supplied helpfully from the fridge.

Tsuna started. "Eh? Yuri-san, when did you get there?" he asked.

"Magic," Yuri said simply, not paying attention to her surroundings in the least.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Gokudera sputtered angrily.

"Of course not," Yuri said slowly. "It's magic. Does magic have to make sense?" she asked rhetorically and pulled out a family-sized bar of chocolate.

"So, Yuri-chan, why don't you eat with us?" Haru asked innocently.

Yuri gazed at the girl evenly. "Because eating with beeping beeps ruins my appetite."

"Huh?" Haru said intelligently.

"But eating a meal with everyone makes it tastier," Kyoko stated, beaming.

"How does that even work?" Yuri muttered cynically. "Besides, I usually make my own food."

"You can cook?" Ryohei asked, bewildered.

"Is it that hard to believe?" Yuri scowled. She received several nods of affirmation. Yuri huffed. "Just because I don't act like a girl doesn't mean I suck at cooking. Nikoru looks real girly and yet her cooking is worst than all you guys combined," she said seriously.

Nikoru only chuckled.

"But you ate breakfast with us once," Yamamoto noted, bringing everyone back on track - which was unusual for the usually air-headed boy. "We had pancakes, I think." He swallowed his mouthful of curry.

"That's because I suck at making pancakes. Yes, it's possible," she added when disbelieving glances were shot her way. "Actually, I can't cook any westernized food. Asian food only," Yuri nodded solemnly. "By the way, Nikoru, where's Blue?"

Nikoru shrugged. "Roaming around the base, I guess."

Yuri blinked. Speaking of unrestricted Box Animals, Yuri still had to find both Cooro and…Bob.

"Since the topic of your living conditions have been brought up," Reborn piped up, "where do you sleep?"

"What do you mean, Reborn?" Tsuna asked after a while when everyone else was busy with their food. "Doesn't she share a room with Nikoru-san?" His furrowed eyebrows indicated that he was confused.

Nikoru shook her head in negative. "Single bed only. Yuri has her own room."

Yuri merely grunted. "Sometimes I stay with Shoichi, other times I stay in Kyoya's part of the base." This brought on a stunned silence.

Nikoru stared pointedly at Tsuna. "I told you they were close," she said triumphantly at the gaping boy.

oOoOo

Shirobara Nikoru hummed while inattentively dragging a hand through her long, unbound hair. Now that it was no longer tied up in her custom ponytail, Nikoru's head felt significantly lighter and freer. She frowned lightly as she peeked at her reflection in the mirror within her bathroom. Hmm, she would need to get her hair cut soon, Nikoru mused when she discovered that her hair reached past her chest.

Nikoru surveyed her plain bedroom and spotted something…odd.

"Why is there a fox here?" Nikoru wondered curiously, not really surprised. She stared at the creature's deep orange coat of fur as the fox stared unblinkingly back.

Blue, who was napping right beside the mysterious but admittedly cute fox, purred in response to Nikoru's question.

"Ahh, I see," the girl said brightly with an understanding nod. She and Blue could understand each other despite the language difficulties. Maybe it was another one of Blue's powers? Blue certainly was amazing. "So you're saying that while I was taking a quick shower, this fox came in and slept beside you?" she asked, expanding on Blue's simple growl.

The small tiger nodded once.

"Okay then," Nikoru halted the somewhat one-sided conversation there and picked up Blue. She carried him in her arms as she left her room, heading towards Tsuna's to watch as he fought against his own Box Weapon.

"Yo, Nikoru," Yuri said lazily as she fell into pace with her friend. "Have you seen a small, white blob that looks like a tiny hill?"

"No, but I've seen a fox," Nikoru answered, not missing a beat. "What does the blob look like?"

"A fox, eh…?" Yuri murmured quietly. "Umm, it has horizontal lines for eyes and it's mouth is like a blissful grin?" she informed, uncertain on how to explain it without making it sound too strange.

"Weird…" Nikoru breathed. "But cute, I guess. Why do you have a blob?"

"It's my shape-shifting Box Weapon. Apparently, its true form is a melted marshmallow. I wonder what it tastes like…" Yuri was almost drooling.

"I doubt it'll taste like marshmallow," Nikoru said dubiously, crushing Yuri's hopes. "But since it can change forms, doesn't that mean that the fox in my room is your blob?"

Yuri grunted in affirmation. "Bob. I called it Bob."

"I'm guessing you named it that because Bob sounds like blob?" Nikoru assumed with a twitch of her lips.

Yuri grinned. "Also because it reminds me of Mokona." When Nikoru remained nonplussed, Yuri elaborated, "And Robert was always so obsessed with Mokona, therefore the blob reminds me of Robert. Bob is also short for Robert. Get it?"

Nikoru nodded slowly. "I guess…" she said hesitantly.

Yuri was pleased with the answer and changed topics quite quickly. "Hey, look! You're not wearing a jacket today," she gushed with pride. "Nice top."

Nikoru smiled at the compliment. "Thanks."

A deafening boom jostled the girls out of their snug ambiance as they silently agreed to hurry their pace. As soon as Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Basil's slightly clouded figures - for the smoke caused Nikoru's eyes to water - the honey-eyed girl automatically commanded Blue to shift into his Maximized form.

Yuri gazed dispassionately as the monster used its Sky Flames to unleashed four long tendril-like things and attached themselves onto each of Tsuna's limbs to keep him from escaping. The creature quickly dived towards Tsuna's unprotected torso, the momentum gained utilized so that the impact would be more powerful and intense.

Nikoru's adrenaline rush combined with her quick thinking saved Tsuna from brutal pain. While Tsuna was holding off his Box Weapon, Nikoru's mind went through different plans to see which one was most efficient.

Since Tsuna was held in mid-air, Blue couldn't bring his shield up such a distance and therefore he couldn't separate the monster from Tsuna. Then again, the Sky Flames were likely to overpower the White Flames and the shield would probably be forced to develop _around_ it instead of through.

Nikoru wondered if she could use her scythe to cut the Flames apart, but then that would aggravate the monster further.

Maybe it was time to show Blue's newly-discovered power…?

Nikoru nodded jerkily to herself. She placed Blue back into his Box since he was in his normal form and not his combatant one. Nikoru was in front of the boys, so they weren't able to see her light her Ring. Though she was closer to Tsuna, he was a little preoccupied at the moment to take notice of his surroundings.

With determination lighting her amber orbs, Nikoru quickly lighted her Ring and inserted it into her Box with the tiger-like black stripes and white background. Maximized Blue shot out, a large Flame dancing on the tip of his tail.

"Blue," Nikoru said firmly, but quietly. "Defense Mode: Version 2."

Blue nodded curtly before running onto Nikoru's opened hands. He curled himself up into a small ball and waited patiently for Nikoru to throw him towards Tsuna. Blue felt the air brush through his fur as he soared towards the space between the lunging monster and the panicking boy.

Blue continued spinning fiercely as the fiery creature's snout pressed connected with the ball of fur. The monster added more power and was slowly pushing Blue back. Sooner than Nikoru would have wished for, Blue's other side was backed up against Tsuna's stomach.

The wild Box Animal saw this opportunity and used all the strength it could muster to throw both tiger and boy back into the wall. Even as Tsuna's body penetrated into the wall, the creature continued to force itself forward.

Tsuna was thankful for the spinning ball of fur in front of him. A small part of his mind noted that the ball was coated in blinding white flames. If it weren't for Blue, then not only would Tsuna's back be in pain, but also his front. Blue continued to rotate at a fast speed so that he could prevent the monster from tearing Tsuna's stomach apart.

Meanwhile, Yuri pursed her lips as her bored gaze landed on the stupefied boys.

_There was a crack in the mask…_

"Oi, Basil, Yamamoto, you guys should use your Boxes to calm Tsuna's Box Weapon down. You know, since you have the rain attribute and all," she suggested while disinterestedly inspecting her nails.

_The crack deepened._

"You are right," Basil agreed. He released Delfino di Piogga, his dolphin Box Animal.

Soon after Alfin went to work, Yamamoto followed Basil's lead and unleashed Rondine di Piogga.

With both Boxes' combined efforts, Blue was able to stop halt in his spinning. All of his energy was drained - this was punctuated as the Dying Will Flames covering his build extinguished until he was back to his normal, living form.

Nikoru breathed a sigh of relief when she realized both Yamamoto and Basil went into action. However, her relaxation was put on pause when she caught glimpse of Minimized Blue's lifeless body falling towards the ground at a fast rate.

Nikoru found herself running towards Blue before she could even think. She threw herself across the floor and inelegantly caught Blue with her stomach, cushioning his potentially life-endangering fall.

She smiled gently after making sure that Blue was alright. Nikoru carried Blue as she did previously and decided to let him sleep so that his energy could replenish itself naturally overnight. While exiting what used to be Tsuna's room through the hole in the wall, Nikoru stumbled over her feet, but before she could hit the ground, a familiar figure caught her.

"I never knew you were so clumsy, Nikoru," a deep voice teased.

Nikoru mustered up the energy to tilt her head up - for she was leaning forward onto a firm arm - and blinked. "W…Why are you riding a horse into an underground base?" she croaked quietly before falling unconscious. It appeared that Blue's new move drained all of her stamina.

Yuri peered through hooded eyes as the boys circled around Tsuna, worried about his condition. Her passive eyes were complimented with a small frown while she strode mechanically towards the dowsed brunette.

Once she was by his side, Yuri bent down to his level and slapped Tsuna on the cheek. Hard. The force of the action was so strong that there was an echoing crack as though a whip was just used.

Tsuna recoiled from shock as the slap landed. It took a while for his frazzled mind to register the pain. And when it did, Tsuna valiantly refrained from whimpering. He was sure that there was going to be a mark there the next morning. His cheek stung so much that Tsuna didn't realize Yuri's nails accidentally scraped across his skin.

Before cries of pain, confusion, or anger arose, Yuri spoke up, "It's funny how the Tenth Vongola Boss can't even do something menial such as opening his Box Weapon without causing chaos that involves others," she remarked softly, her hand cupping the wide-eyed boy's chin firmly.

_The mask shattered into countless pieces._

"Oi, that's going too fa-!" Ryohei began, but was silenced by an icy stare from Yuri.

The girl's frozen eyes allowed weariness to drift through. She sighed heavily. "I knew I should have joined the Varia when they offered. I'm sure I can tolerate Xanxus a lot more…" Yuri's hand returned limply by her side while she stood up and left the largely-stunned audience.

Dino, who was carrying Nikoru bridal style with Blue on her stomach, watched Yuri intently as she strolled gracefully toward him. She spared him a glance before looking at Nikoru. A small smile materialized on Yuri's mouth, her eyes crinkling with gentle amusement when they settled on Nikoru's sleeping form.

No matter the amount of time that had passed, Yuri forever remained a puzzle for Dino. She was his personal Rubik's cube, sans the fun.

_The mask perished into dust._

oOoOo

"Stupid muscle head…" Gokudera muttered darkly. After reprimanding Ryohei for not cutting the paper strips with the same width, Gokudera wondered what caused Yuri to be so…bitter.

Yamamoto noticed the intense look on Gokudera's face, along with the scowl, and decided to voice his curiosity. "Gokudera, what's up?"

If anything, Gokudera's gaze seemed even more intense. "Nothing… Just wondering what the deal was with that blue idiot."

Tsuna knew something was wrong with Gokudera when he didn't insult Yamamoto at least a little bit. "Yuri-san?" he said softly. Oh, right. Tsuna subconsciously rubbed the band-aid covering his scratched cheek. Yuri sure had sharp nails… Tsuna forced an uneasy smile. "Maybe Nikoru-san knows what happened." Just when he thought he finally understood the way Yuri's brain was wired, she does something totally inconceivable.

Yamamoto's eyes hardened as he turned uncharacteristically somber. "Yeah, I guess. I never knew she could be so cold like that…" He really didn't know Yuri at all. Yamamoto sighed lightly.

Ryohei didn't like the sad atmosphere, not one bit. But even he had to admit that Yuri's words were harsh. "She **is** a girl," he said simply, as if it explained everything.

"Oh…" the other boys chorused unanimously in comprehension. Females were like a different species altogether to the male population of the group.

Ryohei nodded grimly and they're minds were at peace for a while. That is, until Lambo ran in and began spouting nonsense about a monster trying to eat him…

oOoOo

Yuri groaned loudly from her position of leaning on a wall. She sunk down to her knees in defeat and hung her head. She stared at the wall opposite her - for Yuri was in another hallway - and silently berated herself for snapping. Hopefully she could blame it on anxiety of seeing Tsuna in danger and then rebuild her mask once more?

Difficult, but not impossible.

Yuri vaguely wondered why she hadn't turned into a cat. She was extremely angry, but it was cold fury. Or had that phase disappeared already and she would no longer transform unless intentional? Whatever the reason, Yuri was thankful. If she changed forms there, her dramatic exit would have been for naught.

Yes, she was back to her shallow herself.

Yuri heaved herself up and out of her depression, planning on heading towards Nikoru and checking if she was alright. But since Dino was carrying her, shouldn't he have brought her to the infirmary instead?

Yuri was saved from debating on whether she should head to the infirmary or Nikoru's room first, when a giant turtle came to a halt before her.

Stupid Dino. Or Karma- stupid karma. Yuri could have simply attacked the unbound Box Weapon, but dismissed the idea. God knows she needed to relax, and what better way than to get eaten by a Box Animal with Sky and Sun Flames?

That, and she was too lazy to bring Cooro out. Yuri privately wished that the turtle could also get to Nikoru as well. It would speed up the process of replenishing her energy.

Yuri frowned as she felt her strength being sapped away by the large creature. She freaked out when she realized that she was going to personally experience the insides of the turtle. Gross.

But it was just a weapon, right? It didn't have a digestive system like an actual turtle, right? Oh, she hoped so.

* * *

**_COMPETITION~!_**

I want all you readers out there to guess my actual name. ;D There are actual hints somewhere in this fic. :O Anyone who gets the closest guess (and explains how they came to that answer) gets a prize! Which is a one-shot, or three-shot, or whatever-shot. LOL.

Good luck. And the people who know me in real life, you can't compete. I **will** know if you did. :}

**Author's rants: **…Wow, I accidentally put a DinoXNikoru moment and didn't notice it until my friend (aka Nikoru) pointed it out. o_o; You can only see it if you squint and over-think it. IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL! TT^TT.

_Published date: _18-10-10


	21. Enter: Truth

**Author's rants: **Wow, not many people entered the competition. Oh well, less work for me! BAHAHAHAHA.

Ahem, does anyone know any study tips? Exams are next week. TT^TT MEANING I CAN'T READ MY BOOKS! Oh, and update... -shifty eyes-

* * *

Chapter 21

_Enter: Truth_

Nikoru pinched and pulled Yuri's cheeks so hard that Yuri wondered whether they would remain their previous size or seem larger from now on.

"I'm sorry!" Yuri whined. She sniffed as crocodile tears welled up in her eyes. "It hurts…and I sound funny," she added.

Nikoru aimed a reproving stare at the girl she was delivering punishment to. "I can't believe you lashed out at Tsuna-kun like that." She paused. "Well, I can believe it, but it still wasn't very nice, Yuri," Nikoru lectured, frowning.

Nikoru recalled the moment when she finally woke up from her drained, comatose state. Now, most people would wonder what had happened to make them feel so lifeless, but the first thing Nikoru noticed was her surroundings. Or lack of.

"This isn't my room…" Nikoru had noted once she became aware of the cramped space she was sitting in. She had hugged her knees tightly to create some space around her. Nikoru brought her fist up and tapped the experimentally tapped the interior of her cramped cell.

The surface was hard, but soft enough for Nikoru punch continuously without feeling immediate pain. Sort of like an animal's egg… And then Nikoru remembered what happened when Dino finally arrived.

She was swallowed by that Box Weapon, wasn't she?

"How did you find out about it, anyway?" Yuri asked sourly as she rubbed her cheeks gingerly.

Nikoru realized she had released Yuri whilst she was reminiscing. "At Dino's welcoming party," she answered with a light frown. "Tsuna-kun looked subdued whenever he glimpsed at you, so I asked him what's wrong." Nikoru suddenly looked more curious than put off. "I thought you never wanted to bitch-slap."

Yuri huffed. "The situation called for it. Would you rather I punch him?" she bared her teeth into a malicious grin. When Nikoru shot her a look, Yuri merely shrugged unflappably. "Ryohei will do that later on," she said darkly.

Nikoru rolled her eyes at the theatrics. "Say sorry to Tsuna-kun, all right?" Her tone wasn't harsh, but firm.

Yuri blinked. "Okay. But you have to let me borrow your scythe."

Nikoru tensed while her eyes narrowed. "Why?" she questioned stiffly, attempting to keep the wariness out of her voice.

"I just want to test something out…" Yuri answered airily. "Is it a deal?"

Nikoru grimaced. Though she knew it was a bad idea, she still agreed. "Sure," she sighed deeply, reluctant. If Yuri hated Tsuna as much as she said she did, then getting her to apologize to him would be worth giving up her scythe for a little while, right?

oOoOo

A sinister smirk spread across Yuri's lips. It indicated that a plan was forming within her mind. There was no doubt that it had something to do with the apology Nikoru had forced onto her.

Hah! As if she would sincerely apologize to that immature, Kyoko-obsessed, little boy! Yuri would rather lecture him and rant about how weak-minded he was and how shallow he was for liking Kyoko. Half of Yuri's mind firmly decided that Kyoko was a robot, or an alien. How else could someone be so emotionless, so oblivious?

Even after Tsuna was injured when he protected her from Tazaru, Kyoko didn't even question why it happened. She never wondered why or how. She only cared about making everyone happy by doing chores. It made Yuri gag.

Surely, Tsuna couldn't be so stupid as to like a pretty girl with no personality…right? Apparently, Yuri dreamt of the impossible. For the Tenth Boss of the well-respected Vongola Family, that was pretty shallow.

But would Nikoru listen? _Noooo_…

Yuri was **definitely** serving Xanxus and joining the Varia when they returned to the Past.

Yuri clicked her tongue irritably, and snapped her thumb against her index finger as a scowl formed on her brow. There was a reason Yuri continued to snap her fingers against each other. Her efforts proved to be worthwhile, when a black Dying Will Flame ignited on her index finger.

The Flame covered the entire tip of her finger. If she wished so, Yuri could have summoned enough energy to make the Flame envelop her entire hand. Maybe, if she exercised and built up her stamina, Yuri could make the Flame coat her entire body. And then she would have the greatest weapon ever!

Right. She was getting off-track. With a cough, Yuri composed herself and let the maniacal grin slip off of her face.

Now, how could she deliver her a seemingly genuine apology to Tsuna without obliterating her pride or receiving further punishment from Nikoru?

After several minutes of contemplation, Yuri finally grasped the answer within her fingers. She was going to cry, bawl her eyes out. Most people - especially weak ones like Tsuna - crumbled when someone (especially a girl) unleashed the waterworks. Yes… Yuri could use what was left of her femininity to her cunning advantage.

While sobbing, she would utter some crap about being worried for everyone's lives being at stake because of the wild Box Animal being unleashed within the living area. She would say that she was especially afraid for Yamamoto and Nikoru - that was understandable since Yuri cared for those two most.

Her mask could always be saved.

oOoOo

Sawada Tsunayoshi's sigh echoed deafeningly throughout the large bathroom as he dowsed himself in warm water. Training with his Vongola Box Weapon certainly was draining. He just didn't know what was wrong with it. It seemed utterly wild and untamed. Dino had mentioned something about being with the Box whenever it was in trouble, but still…

Tsuna dipped his head into the water and urged himself to think about other matters. When he resurfaced, his nest of hair was clinging onto his face, so he shook it madly in order to get the annoying locks off.

Other things, eh? Yuri seemed to provide him with infinite amounts of brain-teasers that could keep him busy forever. First, she was cold and ruthless with her words, and now she was kind and caring? He didn't need his Hyper Intuition to tell him something was up.

But then again, her tears seemed like the real thing, not like the fake tears she spilt at times. Moreover, her words made sense too. She was afraid for everyone's lives, mainly Nikoru's and Yamamoto's lives, so it made sense that she would turn icy and snap.

But her words…where did Xanxus and Varia come from all of a sudden? Now that Tsuna thought about it, Yuri always seemed pleased whenever there was an opportunity to befriend people that were outside his circle of friends.

Tsuna knew that it was odd for Yuri to be so close with Mukuro, but shrugged it off and never gave it a second thought. But how deep was their bond? He saw Yuri a lot more than Mukuro did - mostly because Yuri acted like his house was her own whenever she was bored - so why did she and Mukuro act friendlier towards each other?

There was also the Varia… During the battle over the Rings, Yuri seemed more interested in talking and getting to know the assassins rather than actually cheering her friends on and hoping the Varia lost. So she was fine with knowing that skilled killers working in the mafia were out to destroy them all, but was so worked up over the fact that he was about to injure himself and the others around him? Ugh, this was giving Tsuna a massive headache.

Maybe he should ditch all the over-thinking and just trust Yuri? If Nikoru and Yamamoto trusted her, and Gokudera didn't fully hate her, then she was no problem to worry about. Hopefully.

oOoOo

"So, how did the apology go?" Nikoru inquired conversationally as she surveyed Yuri's room within the base.

Yuri privately thanked whatever deity there was out there that Nikoru was someplace else and did not see Yuri's obvious disdain. "Awesome," she lied cheerfully. "Yep, Tsuna and I got over that bump, and the guys were there, too." She grinned falsely.

Nikoru smiled. "That's great. Now…" she said ponderingly, "what is up with this room?"

"What?" Yuri actually appeared confused. So what if her Future self decided she wanted the room to be more eye-catching and made everything black and white with a checkered pattern? To Yuri, it seemed pretty…different. Unique.

Nikoru shook her head in dismissal. "Never mind… I can't believe you have a book shelf that covers one entire wall."

Yuri grinned. "I like reading fantasy books for young teenagers and kids," she explained simply. "Like _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ or The Golden Compass."

"Bookworm," Nikoru accused with amusement.

"They're interesting and funny at times," Yuri pouted.

Nikoru's eyes widened after several moments of silence in which Yuri read and Nikoru daydreamed. "Hey…" she began, sounding incredibly suspicious.

"Yes?" Yuri prompted indifferently, taking no note of Nikoru's tone. She continued to read To Kill a Mockingbird and flipped to the next page, engrossed.

"How far have you and Irie-san gone?" Nikoru fought to keep the grin off her face.

Yuri snapped the novel shut immediately. She turned to look at Nikoru. "Isn't that a little personal?" she asked evasively.

Nikoru gave her a dry look. "You shouldn't be talking. When you meet someone online, you instantly ask them how old they are, what city or state they live in, and one time you even asked what their parents worked as."

Instead of looking rightfully ashamed, Yuri seemed to be reminiscing. "Ahh, yes. And I still don't know what occupation it is… They go on international business trips, so it seems suspicious. And they're rich!"

Nikoru's look was replaced with astonishment. "Mafia?"

"That's what I said!" Yuri beamed and promptly high-fived Nikoru.

"Hey, wait," Nikoru interjected after she returned Yuri's high-five. "You took us off-track!"

"I am pretty good at distracting people…" Yuri permitted. When Nikoru gave her a stern look, Yuri relented with a sigh. "Do you really want to know?"

"Just tell me if you're still innocent," Nikoru said flatly.

"Aww," Yuri smiled gently. "You still have hope."

Nikoru sensibly chose to display no emotion on her face.

Yuri sighed aloud at the blank stare she was receiving. "Yes, I'm still a virgin," she drawled. When Nikoru didn't nod approvingly or make any gesture at all, Yuri became confused. "What's wrong?"

Nikoru wordlessly elevated her arm and pointed in the direction of the door.

Bemused, Yuri unquestioningly peered at her door, which was now open.

There stood a gawking Dino, who, for some reason, appeared incredibly shaken. "Came in at the wrong time, came in at the wrong time," he muttered to himself continuously while shakily walking out of the room.

"Hmm, I wonder why he dropped by," Yuri commented idly.

"I think he came here to apologize."

"For what?" Yuri arched an eyebrow.

"I think it's because his turtle Box Weapon swallowed both you and me because he couldn't control it properly," Nikoru informed in a detached tone. "So why do you love Irie-san?" she asked abruptly, turning serious.

Yuri flinched at the rapid alteration in attitude. Was that a glint in Nikoru's eyes? "Why so random?" she stalled.

_Now_ Yuri knew that she wasn't just imagining the maniacal gleam in her friend's eyes. Nikoru smiled. "I was just curious… I mean, it's hard to picture such a calm person like Irie-san being with a wild, tom-boyish girl like you, Yuri."

"Gee, thanks," Yuri muttered wryly. "I never really explained why I like him so much, have I?" she asked rhetorically, more to herself than Nikoru. "Well, it's because, even though he's our age, he's not childish like Tsuna and Gokudera."

"I'm assuming you're talking about the Past version of Irie-san?" Nikoru's assumption sounded more like a question.

Yuri grunted in affirmation. "He's a little clumsy at times, but he thinks logically and sensibly, unlike Tsuna."

Nikoru groaned quietly. "Please stop adding Tsuna-kun's name every time," she requested, a little exasperated.

"I make no promises," said Yuri, grinning.

"But what about Hibari-san or Mukuro? They're not 'childish', as you put it," Nikoru noted practically.

Yuri stared at Nikoru as though she were stupid. "One's a sadistic blood-thirsty teenager who prefers to be a loner. The other has bad sense in taste, is a sadist **and** a masochist," the girl listed off, disturbed that Nikoru would even consider her liking them. "And it's cliché, because every OC is paired up with them and both guys mysteriously like her back," Yuri snorted.

"You always have a shallow reason for why you do things," Nikoru commented with a chuckle.

"Better than no reason at all," reasoned Yuri with a shrug. "Sure, Mukuro and Kyoya are good-looking, but there's a difference between 'you're hot' and 'I like you'." She was oddly wise today.

Nikoru's face was devoid of any expression. "You think they're attractive?"

Yuri knew straight away that she had dug her own grave. Damn her misfortune.

oOoOo

"We're lost, aren't we?" Nikoru asked Yuri, who was in front.

Yuri continued walking at a hasty pace. "No, we're not," she insisted.

Nikoru sighed while they strode throughout the countless hallways. "Why did I even let you show the way? You're directionally challenged."

Yuri huffed, fed up. "Then you lead the way, Miss Perfect."

The two came to a stop. They were currently looking for the corridor where everyone would be at. During this moment, Haru and Kyoko would be announcing their boycott until the boys shed some light on the current situation.

Nikoru wanted to be there to support the boys. Yuri wanted to be there to throw a spanner into their works and utterly obliterate the heavy atmosphere.

The path the duo was presently on split into two different ways. One went left, the other right. Yuri tapped her foot impatiently with a look of expectation as Nikoru strode forward.

"There," she said immediately, indicating to the left. "I can spot the guys' backs."

Yuri started. "No way!" But true to Nikoru's words, Yuri could see the backs of Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, and Tsuna. She scowled. "Well, I led us this way…" grumbled Yuri.

"We want to know what Byakuran, Millefiore and Boxes are," Haru was saying, her eyes firm with determination while Kyoko remained silent and worried beside her.

Yuri decided to step in when Tsuna's oblivious façade was failing miserably. Honestly, the boy was more useless than Kyoko at times, if that was even possible. "Oh, that's simple," said Yuri, easily stepping into the conversation.

Tsuna flinched. How did Yuri always appear like that magically? Actually, the most important situation at hand was what Yuri was saying. She wouldn't really tell Kyoko and Haru all about the mafia, right?

"You see," Yuri began, "Byakuran is this white-obsessed pedophile who plans to take over the world," she babbled on energetically.

Okay, maybe Tsuna was wrong. He panicked visibly and sent a silent plead of help to Nikoru - who was suddenly beside him.

Nikoru shrugged apologetically, having no plan to stop Yuri now. The girls had to find out sometime.

"Millefiore is his gang of idiots, and Boxes are things we use to fight people with." Yuri pulled out her Box with the black star on it, and swiftly threw it in forward, narrowly missing the girls' heads. It was totally an accident… Insert suspicious look.

"We've had enough of the lies!" Haru snapped, but it fell on Yuri's deaf ears as the girl rushed off to retrieve her Box back.

Cooro, who was inside the box, jumped around agitatedly. He was enjoying his blissful sleep, when suddenly, he was thrown around. That did not bode well with the haughty crow. He hopped up and down within his home angrily.

"Sorry, sorry," Yuri apologized repeatedly as she gazed worriedly at the still-bouncing Box.

"We won't do any housework!" Haru cried.

"And we'll boycott living together!" Kyoko finished off.

Yuri inwardly cried tears on honest relief. Kyoko actually had emotions! Well, there went her robot/alien theory… But boycotting living together? "So someone's sleeping on the streets?" she remarked sardonically.

Nikoru discretely elbowed Yuri.

"What ugly girls." Yuri shuddered as Reborn and Giannini appeared, both dressed up as hideous looking women.

Haru looked towards Nikoru. "What about you, Nikoru-chan? Who are you going to side with?"

The expectant look in Haru's eyes made Nikoru want to sink into the ground. Truthfully, Nikoru wanted to remain with Tsuna rather than the others. But how could she say no to those looks?

Thankfully, Yuri intercepted. "You can't put Nikoru on the spot like that!" she said angrily with a scowl.

"What about you, Yuri-chan?" questioned Kyoko, blithely ignoring Yuri's outburst.

"Well," Yuri started off with a blank expression, "truth be told, I really don't like Tsuna or Ryohei, but I find being with guys more entertaining than girls." Her voiced dropped to a muted whisper, "Girls who do things half-assedly and don't know what they're even talking about, that is." Yuri's voice returned to its usual volume, "So I guess I'm neutral. I'm Switzerland…again!"

"You're always neutral," Nikoru noted casually. She turned to the girls who were somewhat deflated. "I guess I'm with Yuri. Sorry. But you will find out. Remember my advice when we returned to the Future? You shall find out the truth soon enough," she added with a mischievous smile.

Both of the non-combatant girls nodded curtly and strode off.

When the girls' backs were no more than specs in the distance, Yuri broke off into a fit of impish giggles. Oh, how amusing it was to see everyone in turmoil - especially the naive Tsuna and his beloved air-headed Kyoko.

"That's creepy," Nikoru stated firmly. "Don't giggle like that."

A cherubic smile was plastered on Yuri's lips. "But it's so entertaining."

"Yuri-san, what were you thinking?" Tsuna shrieked outrageously at the smiling girl.

"I agree with Sawada!" Ryohei announced. "What were you doing, Yui?"

"It's Yuri, dumbass!" Yuri's smile evaporated and morphed into an angry frown. She sent a heated glare at the older boy. "Hmph," she sniffed, "I was just telling them what they wanted to hear. It's their own damned faults they didn't listen to me."

"But we can't tell Kyoko-chan about the mafia… We need to protect them from the truth," Tsuna said resolutely.

Yuri snorted. By now, they were in one of the rooms used to host parties like Dino's welcoming one. Everyone was seated on chairs while Yuri sat on the table, as though it were her throne. "Right," she remarked wryly, "of course you do. But do you realize that, by shielding them from the truth and keeping them in the dark, you're actually strangling them?"

At the befuddled gazes directed at her, Yuri sighed wearily. "Okay. What if Kyoko and Haru were attacked and held hostage. They would be confused because they don't know why they're being held captive. If they know it's because of the mafia, they'll be less jumpy therefore making them less scared. Get it?"

"Not one bit," Ryohei said simply with a nod.

"If I didn't know it was such a bad idea, I would totally join Byakuran out of sheer irritation…" grumbled Yuri as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Y-You wouldn't actually do that, right, Yuri-san?" asked Tsuna, apprehensive. Knowing Yuri, she would jump at the chance of meeting new friends - especially if they were enemies of Tsuna himself.

Yuri pointedly feigned ignorance and turned away from the brunette.

"It's not like Kyoko was going to question anything, anyway," she murmured quietly. "When Tsuna rescued her and got himself injured when fighting Tazaru in the warehouse, Kyoko didn't even wonder why it was all happening. She was just worried for Tsuna's sake. Like usual."

"What was that?" Ryohei roared angrily.

Despite herself, Yuri jerked. They heard her grumbles? Damn her loud voice. Although it was an accident, Yuri took this all in stride. "You heard me, Sasagawa Ryohei," she smirked deviously. "Kyoko is quite…stupid, wouldn't you say?" Yuri appeared thoughtful for awhile, "I guess it runs in the family," she said with a speculative look as she peered at the infuriated boy.

Ryohei's patience snapped. How dare this girl insult Kyoko! Kyoko was his treasure - she was his only little sister in the world! Ryohei couldn't control his rage any longer, so he rose swiftly out of the chair - the bang of his chair as it hit the tiled floor fell deaf on his ears - and smoothly punched Yuri on the nose.

But, being Yuri, she activated her _Tekkai_ before anyone else could even blink. A sadistic grin stretched widely across her face. Of course, Yuri didn't make her _Tekkai_ too strong; she didn't want to fracture Ryohei's knuckles right when Choice was so soon. So she measured enough power to assure that the blow would be blunt and felt like nothing more than a light tap.

Unfortunately for her nose, Yuri ended up sliding across and off the table as Ryohei's punched impacted. As Yuri clutched her nose in pain, she mentally berated herself. Ugh, how could she underestimate him? Underestimating enemies would lead to her downfall. Yuri also forgot to keep in mind that a short-fused, strong man with a sister-complex wasn't a great person to provoke. Oh well.

Yuri calmly strolled back towards the others after dusting herself off as though she was given a light shove instead of a heavy blow. It wasn't like it was broken or deformed, so Yuri considered that nothing major.

Despite the agonizing pain, Yuri played it off quite well. A feral grin met her lips whilst she wiped away the blood gushing out of her nose with the back of her wrist. "Wow, it seems that Kyoko is your biggest weakness." Her grin widened significantly. "You know, you should make that less obvious. I'm surprised no one has bothered to kidnap Kyoko yet, seeing how Vongola Tenth and his Sun Guardian are so obsessed with her…"

Nikoru wondered if Yuri was going to use that little comment as inspiration for a new fanfiction story. A more sensible section of her mind groaned fervently at Yuri's big mouth.

Yuri's grin was now more of amusement than sadistic entertainment. It would interesting to see Mukuro's expression when she would inform him about how simply it would be to kidnap one silly little girl rather than beating up various teenagers. Or maybe he just liked spilling meaningless blood? Yuri never understood the minds of masochistic homicides.

Speaking of Mukuro, she wondered what in the world happened to their mental link. Weeks ago, when Yuri was horribly bored or in desperate need to talk to someone who would listen - Nikoru could only say so much -, she attempted to contact Mukuro via thoughts. _Attempting_ being the key word.

When Yuri finally decided to probe into the depths of her mind and uncover out what was going on, she was disorientated. Further into her mindscape was a massive cable. It was as though it was made by several other normal-sized cables or ropes. Yuri instantly knew that the cable was their psychic bond.

But what left her dazed for awhile was the end of the cable. Yuri finally figured out why she received no reply other than static whenever she tried to contact her close male friend; the cable was cut. It wasn't a clean cut - the ends were frayed and looked as though they had been deteriorating for quite a long period of time.

Yuri then exited her mindscape and pulled out her Death Note from one of her drawers. She hastily flipped through various pages while expertly looking for anything about the link and Mukuro. Did the decaying symbolize something? Perhaps Mukuro was dying? Sure, that didn't occur in the original story, but what if she and Nikoru indirectly caused something like that to happen?

If not dead, then maybe critically injured? Or maybe the link was perishing because they were no longer speaking to each other as often, meaning that they weren't good friends anymore?

She didn't want to lose Mukuro as a friend…because he was one of the people that weren't absolute idiots, and most people that Yuri hated, hated him. Yes, it was pleasurable to see the look on people's faces when they heard that she was close friends with the murderous Rokudo Mukuro.

Yamamoto gulped uneasily. Why were senpai and Yuri fighting? It wasn't like the fights he and Gokudera had, oh no. This fight was much more serious and…tense - despite the fact that Yuri seemed to be more amused than angry.

If Yamamoto was forced to pick, which side would he go to? Yuri, the friend who he got a long with easily? Or Tsuna, the boy who Yamamoto admired and enjoyed being in his company? Though he didn't like ultimatums, Yamamoto honestly liked Tsuna and the others more than Yuri, unfortunately.

"Guys, we should calm dow-" He didn't even get to finish before he was interrupted.

Surprisingly, Tsuna was the one who spoke up. "Obsessed?" he hollered, deeply offended. "We're not obsessed! We simply care about Kyoko, a lot!" A determined scowl was etched onto his brow. Although Tsuna disliked confrontations, he didn't want anyone bad-mouthing Kyoko or his friends.

"No, no," Yuri shook her head with a pitying smile. "You're obsessed. I know obsession when I see it. You guys," she indicated to both Ryohei and Tsuna, "always think about Kyoko immediately whenever you hear the word 'danger', or the chance to return to the Past."

A sigh. "At least Xanxus and his minions don't fawn over a dumb blonde…" Yuri promptly left the room and its enraged occupants, the air swirling with tension as she strode out.

Nikoru frowned. Kyoko wasn't blonde. Apparently, Nikoru had been influenced by Yuri and subconsciously thought something that was incredibly off-topic and the opposite of the stifling atmosphere.

"What the hell was that?" Gokudera cried eloquently. He didn't really care for what crap Yuri was spewing about Kyoko, but Tenth appeared troubled. And if Tenth was angry, then Gokudera was automatically irritated.

"I always knew that Yuri was hiding something," a deep voice commented from the door.

"Dino?" Yamamoto questioned, but not in his usual cheery voice. He was going through inner turmoil at the sudden waves caused by Yuri in the metaphoric ocean of their friendship.

Dino smiled grimly. "Yo. I came down here because I heard all the shouting. I even heard a few bangs. It made me think that there was a brawl going on here."

"You could say that again," Gokudera snorted softly.

Even though Ryohei had managed to blow some steam by punching Yuri, he was still quite infuriated. "How could she say such vile things about Kyoko? Kyoko is the most innocent, kind, gentle person I know! What's wrong with Yuri?"

If Tsuna wasn't so jumpy, he would have noted that Ryohei had actually gotten Yuri's name right. "It's so…unusual. Has she always been like this?" Something in his mind registered. Tsuna's head snapped up towards his proclaimed older brother. "Dino-san, you said that you knew something was up with Yuri? When?"

Unable to help himself, Gokudera listened in with curiosity. That stupid girl was capable of such bittersweet anger? If he was faced with that question months ago, Gokudera would have loudly and rudely advised that person to head to the hospital.

"Yeah," Dino answered, "when we first met. She seemed to be playing a role. Before answering or commenting, she would pause slightly as though trying to find out a way to answer. I'm guessing she's been holding this much hatred ever since she met you…" He would deny it if anyone asked, but Dino had to marvel somewhat at Yuri's skill and patience.

"Is Yuri like this around Tsuna only, or all of us?" Yamamoto wondered quietly. What a change in mood could do to his personality…

"I don't know," Tsuna replied hopelessly. Now that most of his rage had dissipated, he was feeling the after-effects - mainly sorrow and exhaust. "How about we ask Nikoru-san?"

There was an awkward silence.

"Nikoru-san?" Tsuna tried again.

When the men surveyed the room thoroughly, they came to a dazed conclusion. Nikoru had managed to escape while they were deep in thought.

"Yuri!"

Nikoru called to her friend as she landed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Nikoru had quietly crept out of the room after Dino had entered. She didn't want to miss anything important, so she left Minimized Blue - who was hiding in his customary hiding place (aka Nikoru's hood) - under the table within the shadows where the light didn't shine too brightly. It wasn't like she was using him as a spy or anything… Insert shifty eyes.

Unbeknownst to Yuri, she was reflecting Tsuna's previous worn-out look. Her eyes appeared as though they had bags and she hadn't slept in days. She rubbed her temples blearily. "Yes?" she croaked out.

"I'm not going to reprimand you about what you said because, frankly, it was starting to eat on my nerves too," Nikoru admitted with an abashed smile. "So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Yuri echoed, confused.

"You always have a plan to save your mask. You didn't actually think that I'd believe something as unusual as apologizing to Tsuna-kun, did you?" At Yuri's small grin, Nikoru chuckled. "But seriously, how are you going to save yourself this time?"

Yuri's sad smile wasn't what Nikoru was expecting. She was expecting for her vicious friend to grin cunningly or openly cackle insanely - but not give a gentle, sorrow-full smile.

"I don't think I can save it this time. Besides, that time when they rambled on about Kyoko's benefit was the juncture where I was finally going to reveal my real self. My mask is mostly held together by tape rather than actual clay." She paused. "Metaphorically, of course."

Nikoru stood unmoving, stunned. "So…that's it? You're going to openly say your cruel feelings and thoughts?"

Yuri nodded. "And when we go back, I'm going to Italy."

Being the optimist that she was, Nikoru looked towards the brighter side. "Better than going to another world," she offered.

"Better than going to another world," Yuri agreed with a grin.

oOoOo

As Tsuna ran down the corridor that lead to the hatch closest to him, he reflected on the eventful day he had. Yuri…she really had an ugly personality, didn't she? Tsuna always had a feeling that something felt wrong with her, but he swatted it away like it was nothing important. Oh, how that came back to haunt him.

Ah, speak of the devil. Yuri was walking leisurely whilst whistling a jaunty tune as she headed towards Tsuna. Right when they were shoulder to shoulder, Yuri whispered, "Running after Kyoko again? This totally proves that you're infatuated with her. You don't even stop and think about it first. The Millefiore are holding a cease fire, and Kyoko isn't that rash. You really don't know her at all, or you're just completely stupid. I pity the Vongola Famiglia…"

That stopped Tsuna in his tracks. He glared angrily at Yuri. He was so sick of the way she treated him and his friends! Especially Kyoko. "And why should I listen to anything you say?" Tsuna snapped. He was so worried about Kyoko and panicking so much that it ate away on his nerves.

Reborn and Bianchi, who were both watching Tsuna with amusement, turned to each other and exchanged confused glances. What was Tsuna doing? Why did he suddenly stop? And more importantly, why did he scream at Yuri? The normal Tsuna would be too afraid to do something like that to the intimidating Yuri…

"Why are you always mentioning Kyoko?" Tsuna continued. "Maybe you're the one obsessed with her!"

At first, Yuri's face began reddening in rage. But then she looked at Tsuna's comment in a different light and began barking with laughter. "Seriously?" She laughed boisterously. "God, that's so impossible that it's making me cry! Don't mistake passion for hate." Yuri smirked viciously, "Shouldn't you be chasing after your idol?" She sneered.

Tsuna tensed, realization hitting him like a sledgehammer, and dashed quickly out the exit.

"Maybe I should get an illusionist to torture him with images of Kyoko's death…" Yuri mused darkly as continued on her way. When she passed by the silent Bianchi and Reborn, she stared coldly at them.

Reborn didn't know what warranted such an attitude from the normally bright Yuri, but he sure planned to find out.

Yuri was glad that she could be her cruel self when she wanted to be. She had never felt so…free. She couldn't wait to move in with the Varia, that way she would no longer feel so much cold fury and instead enjoy herself.

Closing the door to her bedroom, Yuri idly speculated whether or not her mask would still be in place if she had Mukuro to talk to. Then again, there was always Hibari…

Kuraihana Yuri paled and shook violently at the suggestion.

* * *

_Published date: _30-10-10

OMFG, CHOICE STARTS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER~! :DDD

I bet you guys are sick of Yuri ranting about Kyoko, eh? LOL. I hate her. SHE TURNED CHROME INTO A MARY SUE, TOO! My Chrome... D':_  
_


	22. Enter: Choice

_Dedicated to all the mistreated animals in the world. How I wish that animals could take over the world someday and take revenge on all the humans that wronged them. All those sick bastards that take pleasure out of killing animals…_

On a lighter note, has anyone realized that I've dropped the 'TYL!' prefix now? LULZ. Also, every time I read 'Yuni' I see 'Yuri'. When I was reading Reborn!Wiki and it said that Yuni requested for Giotto's presence, I was like: "WHAT? Yuri?"

* * *

Chapter 22

_Enter: Choice battle_

"So how's life?" Yuri began, unexpectedly. Normally, Nikoru started the conversations.

Nikoru had a feeling that Yuri was up to something, but chose to play along for the time being. "Nothing much…I'm just training and whatnot. Also, it seems that Tsuna-kun and the guys have pretty much forgotten about your existence…" she trailed off, frowning.

Yuri bit back her smirk, and shrugged. "Oh well. Unless they irritate so much that I snap, I'll be my usual random self," she grinned.

"That's…good," Nikoru said, the hesitation not lost on Yuri, "I suppose."

"Would you rather me depressed?" Yuri challenged with a wide grin.

Nikoru shuddered uncontrollably. A depressed Yuri was almost as bad as a high-on-sugar Yuri.

When the girls had nothing else to talk about and Nikoru began playing with her touch-screen phone, Yuri snapped, "When someone asks you how you're doing, you have to ask back!"

Ah, so that was what she was up to. Yuri merely wanted someone to ask her how her life was. Nikoru rolled her eyes. "Don't you usually just start babbling about what's happened to you so far?"

Yuri scoffed. "It's called being polite. Like when I eat your food and ask you afterwards."

Nikoru couldn't halt her lips from twitching upwards into an amused grin. "So, how's your life, Yuri?" she asked formally.

Yuri grinned in satisfaction. "Awesome! Since Shoichi moved in, I get to see him every day!" Now full of happiness and glee, Yuri's grin stretched wider. "I hardly even see any of those annoying bastards unless I have to go to the kitchen…or bathroom." She sighed unexpectedly, "But…whenever I see Yamamoto pass by me, he looks through me; as though I'm not even there," she concluded sorrowfully.

Concerned and just a little disgruntled, Nikoru frowned. Seeing a depressed Yuri definitely was worse. "Well, he has his reasons," she reasoned hesitantly.

Yuri smiled sadly. "I guess you're right. But then again," she began on a lighter note, "I so don't want to be near him when he stuffs up his Inheritance Trial."

"Is that what it's even called?" Nikoru questioned dubiously.

Yuri shrugged, uncaring. "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if one of us was killed or critically injured in the Choice battle?"

Eyes widening in disbelief, Nikoru gaped at the grinning Yuri in utter horror. She never knew whether Yuri was jesting or not, but to make fun of such a serious thing like that? Completely shocking.

"I was only joking…" Yuri mumbled meekly. But she secretly knew that Nikoru would so laugh if Yuri got hurt. Damned irony…

oOoOo

Inwardly squealing, Yuri refrained from grinning broadly as an image of Byakuran was broadcast onto the giant screen behind Giannini. She was a big fan of Byakuran. Though, Yuri tended to forget how insane he was…but the best people always were crazy!

If only Byakuran didn't treat his subordinates like toys, then Yuri would have definitely joined him at the first chance given. Che, unlucky…

Byakuran never bored Yuri. What he did just then was a great example. White, PacMan-like faces hummed and grouped together. Once the white heads were formed into a solid round figure, a mini version of Byakuran popped out comically. And now he sat there smiling obliviously with a large delicious-looking sundae.

Yep, he was definitely Yuri's favourite antagonist. Uh, no offense to Mukuro, of course.

"Want some?" Byakuran offered as he displayed a spoonful of vanilla ice-cream before the camera.

Yuri was practically drooling while a hungry look coated her cerulean orbs. "Hell yeah," she whispered eagerly. Was that pocky she saw sticking out of the sundae?

Nikoru clamped a hand over Yuri's loud mouth before any of the guys in the room could begin shouting at her. For the time being, everyone except Nikoru seemed to be ignoring Yuri.

Yuri would have snorted loudly at the way everyone was tensing up because of such an innocent question, but was stopped by stupid Nikoru's hand on her mouth. She wondered whether she should lick it and be done with it…or maybe it was too inappropriate for the current situation. But when was Yuri ever appropriate?

That settled it. Yuri licked Nikoru's hand. However, she didn't receive the reaction she wished for. Instead of Nikoru recoiling and flinging her hand around like a madman, she merely pulled her hand away and wiped it calmly on her white over-sized shirt.

Yuri had the grace to quietly huff. Nikoru was such a party pooper.

She sniffed a little as Byakuran admitted that he was kidding around and swallowed the spoonful of creamed ice. She was totally making her own ice-cream later. Or fried chicken.

Whilst Yuri gazed at upwards at the ceiling and daydreamed of various admittedly unhealthy foods, Byakuran explained what was going to happen during the Choice battle.

Displeased at the sudden shouts of outrage, Byakuran's trademark foxy smile fell into a small frown. He opened his eyes to display his cold seriousness; his mask was off.

"It's more meaningful this way," he found himself saying. Before he could bid his farewell, a young girl abruptly stood up and applauded him.

Instead of reacting like anyone else and sending the girl a bewildered stare, Byakuran merely peered interestedly at Yuri.

"Ah, I'm afraid I didn't catch your name," he smiled politely. His mask had returned to its prior position.

Yuri instantly halted in her clapping, hands midway in connection. It was as if her whole body had frozen and she couldn't move a muscle. Should she use an alias? But she couldn't think of one on the spot like that!

"Umm," she hesitated. Meh, who cared? Byakuran was going to die anyway. A part of Yuri was actually saddened by that. Why couldn't Kyoko be injured instead? Ah, that was an idea. "Korin Kyoko," was uttered out of her lips before she could thoroughly think her sudden plan through.

Byakuran seemed to have bought it, so Yuri was slightly relieved. Korin was her actual surname, so her alias wasn't **entirely** false. And Kyoko was the first thing that blurted out of her incredibly big mouth, so yeah…

The reason why Yuri wanted to give a false name was due to the fact that Byakuran was sure to do his research and look up the names of everyone who was somehow connected to Sawada Tsunayoshi - whether directly related or indirectly didn't matter to him.

But Tsuna and his group of thick-headed children wouldn't comprehend nor would they attempt to, so Yuri decided to utilize her new title as 'evil' - or whatever they had taken to call her - and state that it was simply a prank or something of the like.

"What was that?" Ryohei exploded once Byakuran cut the connection. "Why did you use Kyoko's name like that?"

Yuri scoffed arrogantly, a sneer coloring her face. "Please," she rolled her eyes. "Kyoko is a pretty popular name, so what's your problem?" she shot back. "Be thankful that I didn't say 'Sasagawa Kyoko'," she muttered.

Gokudera snorted. "Yeah, of course we're grateful for everything you've done for us." Sarcasm was practically dripping out of his mouth.

Yuri smirked. "You're welcome."

"Yuri," Reborn said firmly, cutting all conversations like a knife through butter. (_A/N: LOL, I accidentally typed 'like butter through a knife' the first time.) _"What's happened to you?"

The way he phrased it made Yuri think he was disgusted or appalled at her behaviour. Oh well, she didn't live to please him. "Being my true self," she answered honestly, abstaining from using heavy sarcasm just as Gokudera had just displayed so.

Reborn stared at Yuri for awhile, as though piecing a puzzle together intently. "So you finally show your true colours," he finally said.

Yuri snorted with an eye-roll. This conversation was proving to head nowhere. "Well," she said with finality in her voice as she rose from her seat, "Tsuna would like to tell you all something, don't you, Tsuna?"

Tsuna's stormy hazel eyes now reflected shock. "What?"

"You know," Yuri said as though she were stating the obvious, "where you told Kyoko and Haru all about the mafia?" By now she was standing in the doorway.

While the boys turned to gaze at Tsuna with eyes that begged for him to prove that Yuri was lying, Yuri made her escape. She used Ryohei's second explosion to disguise her cruel cackles as she ran down the hall.

That was how Superbi Squalo ran into Yuri as he headed towards the others.

His first reaction was "What the hell?"

Yuri's wild laughter died down at once. An honest smile graced her lips. "Yay~! It's Squalo!" She then gave him a fierce hug.

"W-What the hell is wrong with you?" he roared angrily, his face flushing lightly.

Yuri chuckled. "So cute," she crooned.

If any passer-by stopped to watch this odd predicament, they would have seen a young girl - who barely reached the angry man's shoulder - tease the aforementioned man without a care in the world.

Squalo scowled and watched Yuri skip ahead cheerfully. Weird girl, he silently accused. He never realized that she had somehow stolen the large fish that was in his hands moments ago.

Yuri grinned. Receiving - or in this case, surreptitiously stealing - free food would make her happy any day! Oh, and seeing Squalo again in a while also brought a smile to Yuri's face.

Nikoru slapped herself on the face as Tsuna explained how he told both Haru and Kyoko about the mafia. Stupid Yuri, why did she have to drop the bombshell like _that_?

If Tsuna had the ability to summon up plenty of anger and hatred, then he would have immediately blamed the injury dealt to his nose on Yuri. But he couldn't, so he didn't.

His body involuntarily shook violently while he lifted his hand to caress his wounded nose. W-Was Ryohei really this strong? A part of him felt bad for what Yuri had to endure. Since she had viciously spat all those horrid words, then her punishment must have been more severe. If that was so, then why did she play it off so coolly? Yuri wasn't even wearing some sort of bandage on her nose…

Perhaps Ryohei had missed or slipped up and didn't use all the power he intended? Or perhaps Yuri was that skilled… In truth, Tsuna shuddered at the idea of having Yuri as a potential enemy. He was marginally surprised that she hadn't already run off with the Millefiore or attack the base, given the ire she displayed towards himself and his friends.

But what was stopping her from doing just that? Yuri appeared to be the violent type - maybe even a pyromaniac. Surely, there must have been something that kept Yuri from burning down the base. Or someone.

Someone… An imaginary light bulb lit up above Tsuna's spiky locks of hair. Right, there were a few people Yuri had opened up to. The first was, obviously, Nikoru. Even though Yuri revealed her true personality, Nikoru didn't seem surprised in the least - she actually looked as though she had been expecting it. They certainly were close…

Next was Irie. Did he know of Yuri's…genuine persona? Or was he merely fooled and manipulated like the rest of them? He was in a relationship with Yuri, so he must know, right? Tsuna made a private note to question him about that later on.

Yamamoto lived with Yuri, but he didn't seem to know Yuri as well as, say, Nikoru did. He enjoyed her company, but that was before he knew of her clueless façade. So Tsuna supposed Yamamoto was out.

Was that really it? No…there was also Hibari and Mukuro, but Tsuna wasn't sure he wanted to delve too deep into their relationship with Yuri.

Nikoru, Irie, Hibari, and Mukuro: Tsuna realized with some horror that they were quite important people.

Nikoru was well-connected with everyone and was very likable. She got along with the girls (both non-combatant and otherwise), she spent a lot of time with Tsuna and his friends, and - because of Yuri - she was on fair terms with Hibari and Mukuro. If she wanted to, Nikoru could use her pure record to convince or influence others to carry out something that would normally be unthinkable. Tsuna was grateful that Nikoru wasn't as cruel or malicious as her best friend.

Irie was the one person who knew how to work the White Device and send Tsuna and his friends back to the Past. He also knew of Choice, Byakuran, Boxes; everything about the Future. One minor setback was that he was in a serious relationship with Yuri. Ten years was quite a long time depending on how one viewed it. Would he set aside Yuri for the greater good? Tsuna hoped so.

Hibari was Tsuna's Cloud Guardian, and a vital member because of his power and blood-lust. Tsuna didn't fool himself, he knew that Hibari wasn't some teenager going through a phase; he was simply a violent young man who loved to spill blood. He was acquainted with Yuri, and could easily turn tail and refrain from fighting in the upcoming battle.

Mukuro…it was difficult to place him.

So caught up in these thoughts was Tsuna, that he didn't even consider the possibility that maybe Yuri befriended all those aforementioned people because they were fun to be with, and she had no clandestine purpose.

"VOOOOI! That bitch stole my tuna!"

oOoOo

Yuri, after placing her tuna away into the freezer, made her way to Irie's room. If her memory wasn't as faulty as she thought it was, Kyoko and Haru were checking up on him currently.

"Yo," she greeted softly so that she wouldn't wake Irie up. She put an arm around each girl's shoulder. "Peeping, are you? My, my - I didn't know you girls had this kind of hobby." Her immense amusement was exhibited via her large grin.

The two girls turned red from embarrassment. "W-What are you talking about, Yuri-chan?" asked Haru, sweat forming on her brow. It was honestly a misunderstanding!

"We're just checking up on him," Kyoko assured hastily.

Yuri pouted. "It's not good to check up on other people's boyfriends…" She stopped herself from ogling at the sight of Irie midway in taking his shirt off. Maybe she could sneak a picture…? Insert perverted grin.

"Boyfriend?" the non-combatant girls shrieked in surprise.

Oh shit. Yuri paled and her distress was visible. She felt like a piece of meat and the girls were wolves, eying her hungrily. She really had a big mouth after all. "U-Um, you needed help for waking Shoichi up, right?" she delayed nervously.

"Ah," Kyoko said brightly, "that's right."

"Wait," Haru commanded. "Did you just say 'Shoichi'?"

Kuraihana Yuri did the only thing she could think of: she ran away. Fast.

oOoOo

"What are you wearing?" Nikoru inquired in a wondering tone. She eyed Yuri's choice of clothes. Yuri wasn't wearing the same black and white uniforms that the combatants were wearing nor was she wearing the red ones the others were wearing.

"A cosplay," Yuri answered simply. She grinned. "I'm cosplaying as Hatsune Miku~! But the skirt is sort of short," she pulled down the black and blue skirt so that it hovered above her knees.

Hatsune Miku…from Vocaloid? Nikoru furrowed her brow. That name rang a small bell in her mind. She idly recalled Yuri going on about Vocaloid and its 'awesome songs'. "The girl with the pigtails?" she asked.

"Yep. But I look weird in pigtails…" Yuri trailed off with a slight frown. "Well, at least you're wearing the cosplay I gave you."

Nikoru's eyes bulged. "You're the one who sent me this?" When Nikoru had finished washing herself and exited her private bathroom, she discovered that all of her clothes had magically disappeared, only to be replaced by a replica of Vampire Knight's Day Class uniform.

Yuri smirked. "Damn right." She ran a hand over her magic laptop. When Nikoru was about to open her mouth in order to reply, Yuri hushed her. "Shh, the movie's starting," she said excitably as a large shadow was cast over Namimori Shrine.

"Movie?" Nikoru mouthed incredulously. Yuri might have been horribly irritating at times, but she always did manage to bring an amused smile onto Nikoru's lips.

After several minutes of conversation, in which Byakuran explained the Flame Ring Teleportation System's functions, Yuri stood bored and - thankfully - quiet. Byakuran sure liked to talk, didn't he? He also couldn't get straight to the point.

Also… "He looks freaky," Yuri commented with a frown.

Nikoru, on the other hand, was thinking of something more imperative. "Should we add our Flames in, too?" she asked worriedly.

"Hold on," Yuri halted. "What are you doing, Tsuna?" she screamed in disbelief. "The light is fading; hurry the beep up and start ejecting your Flames!" She muttered in a quieter tone, "Dumbass."

Judging by the way Yuri's hand twitched, Nikoru assumed that she wished to strangle Tsuna right then and there.

The boy in question merely flinched at the sudden outburst, but made no move to do as Yuri said. They couldn't start if everyone wasn't here. He could only defeat Byakuran if all of his friends stood with him.

Just as the light was about to dissipate forever, along with their chance in saving the world, Hibari and Yamamoto made a grand entrance that relieved everyone's worries.

Yuri clicked her tongue in annoyance. Stupid Tsuna. Why did he bother waiting until his Rain and Cloud Guardians arrived and _then _release his Flames? A part of her wished that Byakuran and his Guardians gave Tsuna a thorough, painful beating.

Nikoru smiled at the brilliant light show before her. "I guess I don't need to help after all…" Her acute senses informed her that Yuri had sneaked up from behind and had stolen her hair-tie. But she didn't mind; it felt lighter when her hair was let loose - sort of like how Yuri felt freer when her mask perished.

"So I wasn't mistaken…" Irie whispered as he marveled at amount of Flames unleashed. "I wasn't mistaken when I brought them to this world!" he cried in a hushed voice. "The young Tenth generation Family!"

A sardonic section of Yuri remarked on how dramatic this all was. But a sweeter, gentler segment smiled genuinely at Irie. She held his hand in reassurance, surprising him at her sudden movement.

Yuri continued to stare ahead, paying no mind to Irie's wide eyes. "I never doubted that you were wrong," she said softly. She turned to face him with a foxy grin, a light shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

oOoOo

Byakuran, former Boss of the Gesso Family and current Boss of the Millefiore, frowned in absolute confusion and slim anger. While he specified the rules of Choice, he had noticed the two eye-catching girls. Shirobara Nikoru and Korin Kyoko. But he doubted that the two had actually given their real names.

When Byakuran returned to his quarters to peer through his other selves' eyes and scan the other worlds that were burning with destruction, he searched up the two girls to find information about them. He found none. There was almost no response to the abnormal names - the few results that came up were completely different from the girls he saw.

So that left only one conclusion: they had given fake names. Or they had died early. But then there would still be some sort of document about their lives, even a small, insignificant one.

Furthermore, the girls seemed odd…

"Kyaa~! It's Byakuran!" a cheery voice cried in delight. It was a voice Byakuran recognized: the so-called 'Korin Kyoko'.

The reason why he always smiled was due to the fact that it astonished people when they witnessed him doing horrible things whilst smiling all the time. His mask was created to inflict fear into the minds and hearts of his enemies, and sometimes even his allies. And yet, the girls - well, the one that was most upfront about it - seemed completely unaffected, like they didn't take him seriously.

Strange, and a little infuriating.

Maybe Byakuran needed to think outside the box. He carefully scanned the group of children before him and analyzed their atmosphere, though the smoke clouding his vision was troublesome to deal with. Most of them were rightfully tense and afraid, only a few remained nonchalant and carefree.

"Yuri," a voice said reprovingly, "you have a boyfriend."

Byakuran's eyes widened marginally. Yuri? According to his knowledge, there was no Yuri that in some way connected with Sawada Tsunayoshi. There were no documents on her, and not even a single word about her in the parallel worlds.

Wait. He vaguely recalled something that happened a while ago. A report on…Kuraihana Yuri? He frowned in concentration as he probed his memory. Something about a woman named Kuraihana Yuri disappearing from the Millefiore's sight after a small incident that occurred in the apartment right beside Sho-chan's old one.

Byakuran had thought that particular puzzle through for several minutes, removing all pieces and placing them back in place after carefully inspecting them. He dismissed the case as unimportant and moved on; Sho-chan was in Italy at the moment, so it wasn't like an assassin traced back his personal details and came across his old home. Besides, they hadn't even gotten the correct place. It could have simply been a pyromaniac that randomly selected any complex.

But it still seemed suspicious to the guarded ruler.

There was little information about Kuraihana Yuri, other than detail that she was somehow linked to the Vongola - his subordinates had notified him that they overheard a few lesser Vongola hitmen speak about Kuraihana Yuri in a manner that was less than favorable. Byakuran's subordinates managed to hear that Kuraihana Yuri wasn't on good terms with the Tenth Vongola Boss, nor was she seen very often.

To enforce that fact, Byakuran wasn't even able to land his hands on a photo. Until recently, he had thought that Kuraihana Yuri was merely a rumor - a myth, even. But there she was.

Shirobara Nikoru - now it made sense. She was mentioned quite a lot whenever Kuraihana Yuri was spoken about. Shirobara Nikoru wasn't involved in the mafia presently, but she was known to be around Sawada Tsunayoshi when they were adolescents. According to Byakuran's limited knowledge of Nikoru, she had parted with Sawada Tsunayoshi once they had graduated high school.

Huh, it appeared that he was going to receive a lot of new interesting data.

oOoOo

Yuri heaved a deep sigh and turned to stare at Nikoru. "Remember what I said about there being a difference between good-looking and 'I love you'?" she drawled with droopy eyelids.

Nikoru smiled lopsidedly. "Right. But you really shouldn't say that when Irie-san is within hearing distance," she lectured, shaking her head in disbelief.

Yuri blinked slowly, and then she snapped her head towards Irie so fast that Nikoru contemplated on whether Yuri had received whiplash or not. Yuri was appropriately abashed, but she was grateful that everyone else seemed to preoccupied with staring openly at Byakuran and his real Six Funeral Wreaths.

In Yuri's eyes, Byakuran was the best antagonist, though is views on human rights deflated Yuri a bit. But now that she thought about it, she and Byakuran were a lot alike. They both had masks that hid them from everyone else's views, they, uhh, enjoyed toying others - Yuri coughed uncomfortably there - and they both wished to take over the world. But Yuri was having second thoughts on the latter; the world was going to end in a few years anyway, due to the effects humanity was influencing on it.

Stupid humans.

But what irked Yuri about Byakuran was that he didn't care about another person's life, no matter how much he seemed to enjoy being in their company. That was frowned upon by Yuri.

"Oho," Kikyo chuckled. He gazed at Hibari in amusement. "My Cloud Guardian counterpart must be you in the school uniform," he deduced. "I am Kikyo. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Yuri tilted her head in confusion. Why did the enemy bother being polite? Did they look down on the Vongola and find it fun to play with them? Yuri shook her head to clear all meaningless thoughts such as those, and concentrated on something more essential. Why did Kikyo act like a woman, when he was a man?

Being the straightforward person she was, Yuri decided to ask. Raising her hand in the air, she waited patiently until all eyes were on her. She supposed that it would annoy Hibari to have his demands cut off, but she really couldn't care less.

"What's wrong, Yuri-chan?" Byakuran smiled peacefully.

Yuri's body twitched automatically at the added suffix. Her first question should have been 'How did you know my name?', but the suffix really irked her. "Please don't add 'chan' to my name," she muttered through ground teeth as her hand fell back to her side.

She closed her eyes tensely and, when she reopened them a second later, she peered at the teal-haired man. "Are you a woman or a man?" she asked bluntly. Back when she first saw Kikyo all those months ago, Yuri really did wonder which gender he was.

Kikyo feigned a smile. "A man."

Yuri's grin was a bit feral. "Then why do you have long hair that you tie up, wear makeup, and use 'watashi' and not 'ore'? I mean, even 'boku' is acceptable!" she complained, now slightly irritated. This anime was really infuriating. "You're even more feminine-looking than Squalo," she said, loud enough so that everyone could hear even if they didn't want to. Yuri knew that Squalo was hiding back in the stage-like base, so she was sure this would vex him to no extent. She grinned at the prospect.

Now, Yuri knew that it wasn't such a good idea to provoke Kikyo, but he couldn't lay a hand on her since she wasn't able to participate in Choice anyway. In the Final Battle, she would simply hide from him. It was simple, really.

Unfortunately, life was never straightforward for Kuraihana Yuri.

Kikyo's eyes flashed dangerously and he opened his mouth to respond, but Byakuran cut him off with a seemingly-innocent chuckle.

"Now, now, Yuri-kun - we're about to start Choice," he reprimanded. "We have to proceed." Byakuran held a golden gadget in his hands, a small Sky Flame danced on the top.

"It's a gyroroulette…" Irie whispered as he marveled the device.

Yuri frowned at new suffix, but she supposed it was better than the feminine one. She sent Nikoru a bewildered look. What the hell was a gyroroulette?

Nikoru simply shrugged and jerked her head back in the direction of Byakuran.

With one hand on the handle, and the other facing palm-down on the side of the gyroroulette, Byakuran ordered Tsuna to spin the gears right when he gave the word.

Seeing the two men so closely together, Yuri grinned perversely. "Look," she whispered to Nikoru, "it's 10027."

The eager look in Nikoru's eyes made Yuri shiver and caused her to recall the time when Kyoko and Haru discovered the relationship between her and Irie. Nikoru's eyes, paired with the wild grin, were far worse than the freezing Shadow Smile when combined.

"Hey wait," Nikoru's smile fell. A serious look was placed on her face. For some reason, it made Yuri panic. "Where's your Ring?" she asked, the sense of urgency in her voice clear.

"Eh?" Yuri said intelligently. "My Ring?" She furrowed her brow at the unexpected question. "It's right where it always is: on my right index finger." Yuri remained nonplussed while she raised her hand before Nikoru's face.

Nikoru hastily slid Yuri's disguised Ring off and was about to pocket it, when Yuri objected angrily.

"Hey, what are you doing-?" However, she was silenced by a sharp glare from Nikoru. Her jaw promptly snapped shut. "What's up?" she asked worriedly as Nikoru fidgeted uneasily.

Swallowing thickly, Nikoru slowly pointed to the giant boards that displayed each sides' participants.

Utterly bemused, Yuri's eyes scanned over the Vongola's participants. There were Rain, Storm, Sky, and three null elements. "What about it?" she asked thoughtlessly.

"The participants from our side will be," Irie was saying, looking oddly solemn. "Sky will be Sawada Tsunayoshi. Storm will be Gokudera Hayato. Rain will be Yamamoto Takeshi."

Yuri was too busy inwardly swooning at how amazing Irie's subdued expression was. It was better than Byakuran's light-hearted smile, even. Almost nothing could snap her out of her trance, which explained why she didn't catch the disagreements that were about to arise.

If anything, Irie appeared graver. "The null elements will be me and Spanner. Also," he shifted his stance so that he was gazing at the others, "we need one more."

"Hmm, Sho-chan," Byakuran called out once the redhead finished speaking, "how about we get a female participant this time? I mean, it would be boring otherwise." His pure smile belied the cruel intentions simmering underneath.

"What?" Tsuna bellowed. His outrage and horror were clear in his wide eyes. "We can't involve Kyoko-chan or the others!"

_That_ broke Yuri out of her stupor. "You know," she said coolly, "there's always Bianchi." Bianchi was a hitman that could knock out her enemies with a whiff of her Poison Cooking, so why didn't they think of choosing her? Honestly…

"Yuri!" Irie gasped in realization. He strode over to her and clasped both her hands inside of his. Bringing them up, Irie's eyes danced with hope. "You can be the other null element!"

"H-Huh?" Yuri asked, shaky after the sudden action. "Umm, sure?" But wouldn't Nikoru rather fight instead? Nikoru… Comprehension hit Yuri like a speedy train.

Yuri glared at her grinning friend. No wonder why Nikoru had put away her Ring! Since Nikoru was still wearing hers, she would be excluded from the no-Ring category therefore making her unable to be a Target. She spat the next words out of her mouth venomously.

"You bitch."

* * *

**Author's rants: **OMFG, THEY MENTION FANFICTION IN _HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER_! HAAHAHAHAHA. LDFKGDLFGHDRSGHSRGJ. They also mention it in You're Beautiful. *w*

Is anyone else excited for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one? I know I am~! :DDDDDDDDDDD

_Published date:_ 13-11-10


	23. Enter: Karaoke

**Author's notes: **_FUCK YEAH! _Finally finished this one-shot dedicated to crazeh-neko74. LOL, yeah, it took me several weeks- BUT I WAS BUSY! I had to work on my second fic that I don't really find imperative, work on Transported's latest, make posters for school, and assignments...

Oh, and sorry if I don't get Chapter 23 up soon; I need to borrow Nikoru's episodes of Reborn! - she has the DVDs - and I can't watch online because I'm capped. And even if I weren't capped, I wouldn't waste my net of that. LOL, I don't have enough data for an otaku. x_x

**_Enjoy_**, crazeh-neko74!

* * *

Chapter 22.5

_Enter: Karaoke_

Shirobara Nikoru learnt a very valuable lesson one day: Never go to karaoke with Tsuna and his Family. It started off as a normal day, a day like any other. Unfortunately, Yuri decided that life was boring and possessed a need to spice it up.

When Nikoru descended the stairs that morning and walked through the living room, she stopped in mid-yawn. Nikoru eyed the figure lying on the couch vertically.

Yuri's feet were in the air as her head touched the carpet on the floor. In her hand was the television remote which she used to continuously click through every single channel.

"Why are you here this early?" Nikoru asked. If it had been anyone else, they would have been offended by the pointed tone she used.

But Yuri merely brought her shoulders up in a tiny shrug. "My apartment is lonely. Shoichi is at cram school. And it's only 9.30am."

Nikoru retreated half a step. "Are you on drugs?"

Yuri rolled her eyes. "I couldn't sleep."

Nikoru seemed to accept the answer, as she calmed down with a miniscule sigh of relief escaping her lips. She continued on her way to the kitchen and left Yuri alone with her incessant flicking of channels.

When she returned, she brought an omelet for Yuri. "Mama made it," Nikoru sighed exasperatedly when Yuri eyed the meal warily and began poking it.

"Thank God…" Yuri murmured quietly as she positioned herself into a more proper one. After about a minute the plate was clean as though it was never touched.

Nikoru's eyes narrowed as she analyzed Yuri carefully. "You were too lazy to make yourself dinner and breakfast, weren't you?" She privately marveled at Yuri's laziness - even if she was hungry, she wouldn't lift a finger until her stomach touched her back.

Yuri made no move to deny it. "I spent all night reading manga and books. They were so interesting…I couldn't stop. I was drunk on literature!" she exclaimed, a crazy glint her cerulean orbs. When Yuri had calmed herself down, she went on, "And thanks to a certain manga, I've got an idea as to what we can spend our day doing today!"

Nikoru had remained silent. Finally, she chose what she thought was the most sensible question. "Is it life-endangering?" Most activities that involved Yuri typically were.

"Possibly," Yuri chirped brightly with a grin.

Nikoru smiled. "I have to go, don't I?" She didn't really mind going, but wanted to check anyway.

Yuri scoffed, astonished that Nikoru had to even ask. "Of course!"

oOoOo

"So, Yuri," Yamamoto began curiously as Yuri led the group throughout the large, indoors mall, "why are we all here?"

Tsuna, his Guardians, his housemates, the girls, and even Dino were called to one of Namimori's most extravagant malls without any further information other than 'Come! It'll be fun!'

"You don't even know?" Gokudera asked disbelievingly.

"Well, do you?" Yamamoto shot back sensibly.

Gokudera snorted but backed down.

Yuri grinned and finally halted. "Go inside!" She gestured towards a door that gave entrance to a large room.

Reborn smirked and knew what Yuri was up to. When Nikoru had delivered the message to him, he got her to spill the beans about what the reason was for doing this. She wanted everyone to participate in a karaoke sing-off? It would evidently end up in disaster and Tsuna would be suffering a mental-breakdown. No self-respecting tutor would do that to his own students, so of course Reborn joined in. It was going to be fun.

"Karaoke?" Tsuna cried incredulously as the others surveyed the large room.

"I'm guessing you missed the massive sign that read 'Karaoke' at the front of the place?" Nikoru teased, the ends of her lips twitching upwards.

Yuri nodded in approval. This was set up just like in that manga she read.

There was a small coffee table where drinks and snacks were meant to seat, and comfy-looking couches surrounded three sides of it. The last side, the empty one, was cleared so that people could stand in front on the massive television and sing their hearts out.

It was so alike to the manga that Yuri had begun to wonder whether all Japanese karaoke places were set up like this.

"Yay! Kyo-chan, you're early!" Yuri cheered and stared at the quiet figure in the corner of the room.

Dino chuckled aloud. "You actually got Kyoya to come along?"

The room seemed to drop several degrees in temperature while Hibari pinned Dino under a bone-chilling glare.

"Of course I did!" Yuri cheered enthusiastically, breaking the stifling atmosphere. "I'm just that awesome," she grinned. "Well that, and Kyo-chan is one of my best friends."

The majority of the room ignored her trademark statement because they were either so used to Yuri saying that that it lost all meaning, or because they were too air-headed to have an actual reaction (the girls sans Nikoru).

"How did you actually get Hibari-san to come?" Nikoru whispered discretely as the gang spread themselves around the room.

Yuri stared blankly at Nikoru. "What do you mean?"

Nikoru rolled her eyes. "Your 'awesomeness' wasn't what got Hibari-san to arrive, was it?" She grinned, "I'm not stupid, Yuri."

"Unlike these idiots…" Yuri grumbled under her breath. "Well, I did a couple of favors for him…"

Hibari Kyoya sat sophisticatedly on his swivel chair behind his large desk within the Reception room. His back was turned to the door whilst he gazed uninterestedly at the afternoon sun. There were few, white clouds in the cerulean sky; they were soft and caressed the sky gently. In short, it was the perfect weather for napping.

But before Hibari could even think of taking a step, his chair was forcefully whipped around so that his back was to the windows.

A grinning Yuri stood in front of him, the only barricade separating the two was his desk.

This herbivore had the nerve to barge into his room and disrupt his contemplation, all the while grinning foolishly and carelessly? Unacceptable. But to Hibari, Yuri wasn't just _any_ herbivore. She had gone beyond the boundaries Hibari had subconsciously set and did it willingly and gleefully, too.

If it were anyone else, Hibari would have sent them flying and unconscious by now. But this was Yuri - his…acquaintance. Hibari grimaced every time he thought of using the word 'friend' in such a context.

"What?" But that didn't stop him from being as rude as ever.

If anything, Yuri's grin grew wider. "Guess what I found, Kyo-chan - there's a couple making out." Blunt as ever.

Hibari narrowed his eyes. "Where?"

Her grin morphed into a cunning smirk.

Hibari found himself frowning.

"In the girls' bathroom."

"Is that all?" Nikoru interrupted. "You told him that someone was breaking the rules, and he accepted your request in coming here?" she asked, her doubt palpable.

Yuri's smirk was a tad but feral. "Perhaps you didn't catch it: _girls'_ bathroom."

Nikoru's jaw dropped.

Nodding in satisfaction, Yuri continued with her story. "Now…"

Yuri, seeing how she spent a lot of time with Hibari and had studied him closely, was able to catch the flash of shock that quickly flittered across the Cloud Guardian's normally stoic face.

"Exactly," she said needlessly. "Unless you want to suffer the embarrassment in sending yourself into the **girls' **bathroom and risk tainting the Disciplinary Committee's name, I suggest that you send me in there."

Hibari's body stiffened. "Why are you doing this?" he questioned suspiciously. Yuri wasn't the type who cared for the rules, nor the people who broke said rules, so why did she bother informing him of this? She must have some ulterior motive.

Yuri smiled innocently. "Why Kyoya, I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do. And…" she continued in a quieter voice, "they keep occupying one of the very few stalls," she pouted.

"I mean," she rambled on as the two headed toward one of the various bathrooms belonging to the female popularity of the school, "this place is full of pubescent girls. Does this place teach Health, or what?"

Now, since Yuri was a student, she should have been aware of the subjects being taught in class, right? Wrong. Yuri never attended class. There were several reasons.

One: she hated the teachers at Namimori Middle. Tensai Gakuen's teachers were much more fun and made learning enjoyable.

Two: Tsuna was in the same class. Enough said.

Three: the work given bored her and seemed pointless to her. Yuri found that there was no point in getting good grades when she was going to be a hitman anyway. The only reason why people went to school was because they wanted to receive education. They wanted to receive an education to become smarter and prepare themselves for the real world. They then had to get jobs; meaning that their employers took a look at their accomplishments to see if they were capable.

In summary, people went to school to get a great job in life so that they could live. The end.

But, for people like Yuri, Nikoru, Tsuna, etc., they didn't need good grades to become hitmen. Take Tsuna, for example; he had appalling grades and was hopelessly clumsy, and yet, he was the Tenth Generation Boss of the Vongola Family.

And finally: Yuri wanted to spend time with Hibari. Being with Hibari was amusing…when she taunted him and ticked him off so badly that a vile dictator seemed like a cherubic little girl in comparison.

When Yuri was sure that the bathroom door was firmly closed, she ran toward the window. She promptly threw it open and made it look as though there was some strain as the 'couple' attempted to go out the window.

"I'm here in place of the Disciplinary Committee, and you two hormonal teens are going to see Hibari Kyoya!" she shouted at an unreasonably loud voice so that Hibari and anyone else eavesdropping were able to hear clearly.

"Oh no!" she said in overly-dramatic tone. "Don't go out the window-!" Yuri created loud noises that sounded as though she tripped and fell onto the floor. Oh, how diligent she was in trying to make everything seem realistic. Not that she needed to make herself trip - her clumsiness already did that for her.

Yuri slowly and quietly turned on the tap by the sink and cupped her hands under it. When there was a reasonable amount of water, she released the liquid over a small spot on the floor and slid her hand across it - fashioning so that it looked like she had skidded across the floor and fell.

And people said she was a harebrained idiot; i.e. Gokudera and Ken.

So, as soon as she was done, Yuri lethargically exited the bathroom and rubbed her cheek tentatively as if it were sore. She supplied Hibari with a replay of what occurred and finished off saying how the couple escaped via the window; which was reasonable, seeing how they were only on the first floor and the ground was less than a few meters away.

Ah, memories.

Once everyone had found a comfortable spot to settle in at, Yuri appeared before the large TV with a microphone. "Yosh! Everyone, thank you for coming to Vongola-style karaoke!" she cheered through the microphone, causing everyone to either recoil under the volume or block their ears.

"Some of you came here without a clue," she continued, eying most of the occupants. "Some arrived because of certain images or tales that could embarrass them horribly," she smirked. He hadn't arrived yet - Yuri was betting that he wanted to make a dramatic entrance. Typical. "And few of you came because you thought it would be fun." Basically, that group consisted of herself, Nikoru, and Reborn.

"So yeah," she concluded somewhat lamely. "Who wants to go first?"

Needless to say, no one volunteered.

Yuri groaned in the utmost exasperation. "Fine. I'll pick you guys." She turned to Nikoru. "Bring the stuff!" she commanded energetically.

"You mean the drugs?" Nikoru asked innocently. Yuri responded by shoving her face toward the door.

Before anyone could up and leave - though many wished to do so - Nikoru returned but a few seconds later, pushing forward what appeared to be a cart. But what was _on_ the cart intrigued everyone who hadn't witnessed it beforehand.

On the trolley was a rectangular machine - the size of a novel - with three colorful buttons atop. The first one was red, the second yellow, and the third green.

"This," Yuri said, speaking through the microphone once again, "is a- well, I don't really have a name for it. Let's call it Alice." There were many raised eyebrows and downright stares from people that questioned Yuri's intelligence. Yuri shrugged. It was the first name she thought of.

"Right, so Alice here will determine what song will be sung, and who it will be sung by. Simple, really. Now you must suffer the anxiety over whether you will be picked or not!" Yuri cackled evilly.

"I'm surprised that you were bothered enough to make this," Reborn said, "when you can't even get up to make yourself breakfast." He smirked. "How did you formulate it?"

Yuri smirked back. "Magic."

Reborn's playfulness instantly vanished and he was left slightly annoyed.

Yuri shrugged at Reborn's obvious irritation. Her reply was the truth, it was his fault if he didn't stop to think about it and believe. She smiled at an empty spot in the ceiling where she knew Majo was sitting in mid-air, filming with glee.

Nikoru was busy connecting the device to the large television, humming obliviously as she worked. This karaoke idea was turning out to be pretty fun. Yuri had even used Nikoru's idea of using the roulette-like machine to pick out the singers like they had in Rebocon 2010.

Once Nikoru was done, and every guest had ordered meals from the front desk, Yuri loudly announced that they were starting. First, she comically slammed the red button to determine which song was being sung.

Everyone either leaned in with excitement or apprehension, or watched with mild interest. But Yuri and Nikoru exchanged smirks. Of course they set it up beforehand to select certain people and certain songs - well, it was mostly Yuri.

As predicted by the two, the song was Sakura Addiction. The reactions were amusing.

"Sakura Addiction?" Tsuna read aloud, confused. "I've never heard of that song before. Is it popular?"

While Nikoru nodded happily, Yuri said, "Of course it is! Lots of teens know of this song. You need to get down with the times," she muttered.

"I don't think anyone says that anymore," Nikoru murmured doubtfully, referring to Yuri's last statement.

Yuri was so occupied with pushing the yellow button that she didn't hear Nikoru - or she was trying not to. The singer selected was Gokudera Hayato. Yuri tried not to snicker too loudly.

"What?" Gokudera shouted in pure outrage. "This is absolutely rigged!" He turned to the smirking Yuri. "You purposely set it up like this!"

"Do you have any proof?" Yuri challenged, not even bothering to deny the accusation. When Gokudera stammered but ended up silent, Yuri grinned. "That's right."

And with that dealt with, she pressed the final button.

"But wait," Tsuna frowned as the images of people flashed by, "the singer was already chosen, what else is left?"

Ah, Yuri relished inwardly, Tsuna could ask sensible questions after all. "It's the second singer. Of course, it could always be only one person and the other section could be nothing but a cross, but duets are more fun." She grinned as the second singer happened to be Reborn.

"My partner is R-Reborn-san?" Gokudera asked shakily. He was torn between feeling awed at the chance to sing alongside with someone he respected, or embarrassed.

Yuri chuckled cunningly. Nikoru decided that it was better than her corrupt giggles. "If you think that's bad," Nikoru mumbled, "wait til you see what Yuri has stored." And with that whisper left in the air, she jogged out the room and toward a storage closet.

"By the way, Gokudera, Reborn, there is a condition - to make this more interesting, you know?" Yuri smiled innocently.

Gokudera scowled, but he couldn't stop the wariness from showing through his facial expressions. "What condition?" he grunted.

Yuri's grin resembled the Cheshire Cat's. She supped both hands around her mouth and whispered into Gokudera's ear.

"WHAT?" Gokudera bellowed deafeningly. He was even more thunderous than Yuri had been not so long ago.

"Yep, you heard me," Yuri beamed. "Ah, Nikoru always does have great timing."

Nikoru, once again, was pushing something in front of her. It was a rack of clothing, with wheels on the bottom so that it was easier to transfer, and on the rack was various outfits. Yuri nimbly plucked to garments out. Once was normal clothing, sized for a teenage boy - jeans, a shirt, and a hooded jumper - but it was completely pink. There were matching shoes and socks.

The second outfit was much smaller, the size for a baby or toddler. It was the exact replica of Reborn's tuxedo, there was even a fedora, and it was a light fuchsia.

Yuri abruptly threw the former attire at Gokudera, and told him to get changed in the bathroom. "It'll be more entertaining this way!" Yuri claimed.

"I'm definitely not wearing that hideous thing!" Gokudera protested angrily, ashamed to even think of wearing the costume.

"Reborn is!" She indicated to the Arcobaleno, who had already changed. He smirked. "See, he's a good sport!"

Gokudera snarled, trapped between a rock and a hard place. "Fine!"

Yuri grinned victoriously and spent the next several minutes watching in amusement as Gokudera, surprisingly, gave his all in singing. Maybe it was because he didn't want to look bad in front of Tsuna and Reborn, his idol?

Sometime during Gokudera and Yuri's tenacious argument, Reborn had switched outfits and was presently dressed as a large sakura petal. The best part was that Hibari was twitching all the while as the song was being sung. He never really got over his hatred of sakura, huh? Yuri supposed he had Mukuro to thank for that.

Reborn's singing was… well, it was Reborn - his baby-façade worked wonders for him as he sang using his well-known falsetto. And his costume made Haru squeal and Bianchi blush. Kyoko, meanwhile, simply found it cute. But, well, such was Kyoko.

As Yuri slammed the buttons to select the next singers and song, Nikoru occupied herself with musing over Gokudera and Reborn's version of Sakura Addiction. Gokudera had sung Hibari's part, and Reborn had sung Mukuro's. Seeing how the song was initially sung by people with smooth voices, it sounded somewhat off when it was sung by a falsetto and a slightly cranky voice - for didn't Gokudera always give off the aura of someone grumpy?

Nevertheless, Nikoru had enjoyed it. But she wasn't going to be too of the next one…

Yuri bared her teeth in a toothy grin. "The next song is Right Now and is sung by…Nikoru and Dino!"

Nikoru leaned back in surprise while her eyes widened. "Another DN moment?" she screamed in shock. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she asked Yuri.

At first, Yuri didn't understand what Nikoru meant, and then her eyes widened. "OH MY GOD, YOU'RE RIGHT!" Her orbs remained comically large as she considered the coincidence. Even though it was true that it was unintentional, no one would believe her, because it was a little **too** fortuitous. "Oh well," she shrugged. "On with the show!"

Dino, bless his soul for being such a good sport, gave in and sung without any fuss and eventually Nikoru caved in too. Right Now was originally sung by Tsuna and Basil, but Dino's smooth voice - which surprised _many_ - and Nikoru's gentle one were a brilliant combination.

Yuri huffed. Nikoru should have been grateful. After all, at least she wasn't forced to wear a costume - for Yuri had no clue what costume was appropriate for that song.

"Dino-san, you were amazing!" Tsuna cried, his voice tinged with amazement and slight disbelief. "I had no idea you were this good."

Dino beamed, prideful. Maybe this karaoke idea wasn't so horrendous after all…

"Of course," Reborn smirked. "He _has_ to be good at **something**."

Dino's face instantly fell.

And this continued on for a while. Next was Arashi no Ouji (originally sung by Belphegor) and presently sung by Tsuna. It was incredibly odd to hear Tsuna sing such a gruesome and gory song, especially the bit where he had to splutter out 'Ushishishi'. Yuri shivered uncontrollably at that moment (it was so bizarre hearing it from Tsuna's timid voice), though it would be hilarious when she showed it to the Varia. Hilarious in a cruel and mocking way, that is.

Also, Tsuna had to don a crown that coincidentally looked like a tiara, and wear a royal red cape with faux fur lining the edges. And his microphone was red and gold, as though it were a shortened form of a sceptre.

Following Tsuna was Kufufu no Fu - which, of course, was initially sung by Mukuro - and was sung by…Hibari. Hibari, not wanting to remain in debt, reluctantly sang. Well, 'sang' might not have been the accurate word…it was more like he spat it through gritted teeth. But still, Yuri had found it immensely amusing.

Speaking of Mukuro, he was late. Yuri had invited (forced) Mukuro to come after several minutes of negotiating. Finally, she had settled for allowing Mukuro to use her as a sandbag where he would constantly lunge and jab at until he was satisfied. Well, at least she had her Tekkai.

As though he was reading her thoughts - which would he would absolutely do - Mukuro appeared via the window. Couldn't he use the door like any other normal person? No, of course not. And he brought his two lackeys. An idea sparked in Yuri's mind.

"Apologies for my tardiness," Mukuro said politely, looking anything but sorry.

"Hahi!" cried Haru in alarm. "He came through the window!"

"Was he cut up?" Kyoko wondered in worry.

"HIII! Mukuro!" Tsuna yelped. "Why is he here?"

Yuri huffed and ignored everyone else. "You took your time," she grumbled angrily.

"Ah," Mukuro said brightly, "you never told me where this would be. It took me a while to find this place." He smiled playfully. Chikusa, on his right, adjusted his glasses impassively. Ken, on his left, snarled at the glowering Gokudera.

Yuri stared at him. "I'm forty-five percent sure I did."

"Forty-five isn't very much," Nikoru commented.

"Well!" Yuri said loudly and very purposely. "At least you're in time for your song."

And so, the most exciting moment of the day, the climax, was bestowed onto Ryohei, Ken, Chikusa, Mukuro, and…Yuri?

"Say WHAT?" Yuri screeched, damaging everyone's ears. She abruptly whipped toward a nonchalant Nikoru. "You!"

Nikoru had manipulated the device- Alice so that it displayed Ryohei, Yuri, and Mukuro in one slot while the other showed Ken and Chikusa.

She smiled and gave the V for Victory sign. "Payback." Though Nikoru didn't know it at the time, she was the one who suffered the most damage in the end. Because she was the only one who knew Tatta Latta and who it was originally sung by, she underwent a traumatic experience.

Tatta Latta by Kyoko, Haru, Chrome, Lambo, and I-pin all obtained sweet, lively voices that suited the cheerful song. However, Ryohei had a gruff, loud and out-of-tune voice, Ken's voice was rough and harsh, Chikusa's was quiet and low, Mukuro's was silky and fine, and Yuri's was actually quite normal, but she was a horrible singer.

As everyone trudged out lethargically - either drained because of the horrific singing they had to endure, the traumatizing images they witnessed, or the difficulty the singers suffered - Gokudera halted and awareness dawned on him.

"WHY WAS I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD TO WEAR AN EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING OUTFIT?"

* * *

_Published date: _26-11-10


	24. Enter: Target and Yuni

**Author's rambles: **My friend pointed out in her review how people slightly hate Nikoru because she made Yuri fight. LOL, yeah. Well, look at it this way: if Nikoru hadn't done that, then Yuri wouldn't receive a battle scene that covers 3/4 of this chapter. :D AHAHA.

Furthermore, Byakuran hardly saw TYL!Yuri and so wasn't able to know her well or maintain an idea of her personality. Yuri, whenever in public, always kept silent and aloof - which, in turn, caused everyone to ignore her altogether.

Besides, Yuri probably matured over time. Right?

Why is it that only Nikoru pointed these out? Oh, right; she nitpicks instead of just enjoying the story and placing her trust in me to make some crap up for the facts I forgot. LOL. But I like her better this way - her review actually contained more than three short sentences. :O

I'm ranting, aren't I? LOL. Well, enjoy this longer-than-normal chapter! It left me drained for four days. And thank you for taking the time to read this rant. ;D

_**Happy birthday, Irie Shoichi!**_

* * *

Chapter 23

_Enter: Target and Yuni_

Kuraihana Yuri sighed and cursed Nikoru for the umpteenth time that day. She massaged the left side of her chest where the Target mark and large Flame were. Maybe it was a bad idea to beg Byakuran to be the Target after all…but she couldn't stand by and watch Shoichi become horribly injured again!

Nikoru had shrugged apologetically and grinned. "Well, it would be bad if it were me because the only weapons I can use are my Box Weapons," she was saying, "but I can't use my Ring. You, however, can use you _Tekkai_ thing and save yourself from lethal damage."

Yuri pulled a face. "I'm totally getting you back for this." But first… She marched toward the opposition and stood before Byakuran, gazing at him with steady, but pleading, eyes. "Can I be Vongola's Target?" she asked directly.

Byakuran had the grace to open his eyes and fully examine Yuri. "How did you know about the Targets?" he asked in a friendly tone, but his lavender eyes narrowed in distrust.

She pursed her lips into a thin line. She knew Byakuran would probably snap at her for this, but she couldn't find any reasonable answer. "Because I'm awesome." Now that Yuri thought about it, she could have just said that Shoichi had told her. Oh well.

Byakuran's eyes closed into his foxy smile once more. "I see."

Yuri nodded, her eyes still firm. She refrained from caving in and patting the enemy's fluffy locks of hair. "But that's not important. So, can I be the Target? Please, Byakuran-sama?" Her pride berated her for beseeching, but Yuri had to do. It was for Shoichi, she reminded herself.

Byakuran chuckled, entertained by the show she was putting on.

Yuri mercilessly smothered a growl that was threatening to erupt._ For Shoichi…_

"Alright. It'll be more fun this way."

So that was how she 'convinced' Byakuran into permitting her as Vongola's Target. However, it was a little gauche when she tried to elucidate why she had a black Dying Will Flame.

Yuri was too occupied in biting her tongue so she wouldn't cry in the excruciating pain that surged through her body as the Target mark landed, that she didn't catch the gasps of surprise from the watching crowd.

"Yuri…" Tsuna gaped. "Your Flame!"

"Yes?" she asked expectantly. Yuri felt uneasy as everyone stared at her left breast. Oh well, it was time to play it all off. "Oh, you meant this?" She pointed to the spot where the black Flame flickered unendingly. "It's a black Dying Will Flame," she responded simply.

"But there's no such thing!" asserted Gokudera.

"Yes, there is," Yuri insisted, blinking innocently.

"Yuri-kun, you seem to get more and more interesting," Byakuran observed, laughing.

"Yuri," Dino spoke up, "I think you need to explain something," he advised.

Yuri sighed, and speculated what to say in this situation. Should she concoct some believable lie? Or should she announce the truth, then and there? But then again, there was a battle ahead; she didn't want the Vongola to become unfocused right as the battle commenced - despite what she usually claimed.

Well, there was always Plan B: distort the truth into something so implausible that people instantly shot down without a second thought. It was the only reason she hadn't given away their secret yet.

"Oh." She blinked. "Well, you guys know how I'm secretly a twisted son-of-a-bitch inside?" she asked casually. Yuri rolled her eyes at the none-too-discrete affirmative nods. "It turns out there bottling up your true persona and feigning obliviousness really hurts your heart and taints your Dying Will Flame." She paused. "And there's the fact that my resolve is really cruel, so maybe that's why my Flame is such a dark colour…"

Okay, so maybe she didn't set Plan B into action. But in her defense, if she had told the truth - no matter how altered - there was still a great probability of someone connecting the dots and discovering the concealed reality, especially with Byakuran there.

But what did it matter? Her explanation worked out quite well. It was practical, too, if not completely logical.

Seeing how no one had voiced their opinion on Yuri's explanation yet, Nikoru opted to give her friend a hand. She coughed loudly so that everyone would listen, whether it be intentional or otherwise. "Since it's Yuri, anything is possible," she said in a light-hearted voice.

Yuri smirked, but chose to remain silent.

"Hmph," Bluebell sniffed haughtily, drawing all awareness to her. "What kind of weirdo has a tainted Flame?" She stuck her tongue out, clinging to Byakuran even tighter.

Yuri's lip curled up in utter disdain. How dare she hang onto Byakuran so closely! Yuri normally favored Bluebell and claimed that she was the best female character in Reborn! - which was not much seeing how every other female was downright useless - but she detested Bluebell's attitude much so. It was somewhat hypocritical if anyone else looked at it…

A random thought suddenly entered her mind. "Huh," Yuri breathed out wonderingly. "You remind of Mary Lennox." Before Mary went to England, of course. That reminded Yuri to finish reading that novel…

Bluebell's sneer slipped. "What?"

Nikoru rolled her eyes. "The female protagonist from The Secret Garden," she clarified.

Yuri pouted at Nikoru's uninterested tone. "It's a good book," she whined.

And just like that, the topic on Yuri's odd Flame colour had exited everyone's minds and they focused once more on the battle.

However, there were few who were wise enough not to allow their concentration to be redirected, but their persistence for dissuaded, thankfully for Yuri, by Squalo making his appearance.

She made a reminder to buy him a shark when she joined the Varia.

Yuri was rudely snapped out of her replay of the events by Spanner, who informed her that they needed her Flame to created decoys for the enemies to occupy their time with.

Grumbling, she reluctantly complied. She jumped off the ceiling of the stage-like base, stumbling a bit in attempt not to clumsily fall on her face, and entered the base unit.

"Yuri," Irie began, worry clear on his face, "you should stay down here rather than on top where the enemy can easily take you out." He didn't even bother to add the respectful suffix - that was evidence of how much he cared for her well-being.

Yuri's scowl vanished under Irie's pleading stare. In truth, she would rather remain up rather than staying down there, all cooped up with nothing to do but wait. She smiled sadly. "Sorry, Shoichi, but I'm actually claustrophobic, so I'll risk it.

"But don't worry;" her smile was much brighter now, "I'm capable of defending myself. And anyway, Tsuna and the others will protect me. Later!" Yuri hopped back outside before Irie could object.

She recalled the incident as though it happened nine minutes and thirty-eight seconds ago…

Yuri was busy glaring at the two Cervello.

That reminded Nikoru of Yuri's Future self, and how she gleefully knocked the Cervello women serving Irie out. "Why do you hate the Cervello so much?" she asked curiously.

Yuri responded without moving, "Because, according to my journal, the two assisting Shoichi draped themselves around him like- like drapes!"

Nikoru stared blankly at Yuri, doubting her intelligence. "Nice metaphor."

Now Yuri turned to face Nikoru. "Isn't a simile?" Her confusion was evident.

"Does it even matter?"

"I guess not," Yuri relented. "And besides, Shoichi absolutely stunk of perfume! Those little-"

Nikoru ignored Yuri's grumbles. "You guys," she said with a sympathetic smile, turning to Tsuna and his Guardians, "please don't let Yuri die." She bowed formally.

Yuri herself was busy examining the Cervello's dresses. Even she had to admit that they had style.

"Nikoru-san," Tsuna said warmly, "we may not be on good terms with Yuri, but that doesn't mean we're going to let her die."

"Yeah, because if I die, the Vongola will lose," Yuri muttered cynically, still glowering.

No one objected to that. In fact, Yuri even heard Gokudera murmuring in fervent agreement. Well, at least someone was sincere.

oOoOo

Meanwhile, Nikoru was lounging on the floor, sitting cross-legged and her attention was all on the screen. Presently, the television was displaying Irie ordering Tsuna around skilfully. Then the camera exhibited Yuri laying on her stomach atop of the base unit, watching what appeared to be anime on her laptop.

"Oh God," Nikoru moaned, massaging her temples sluggishly.

"Why doesn't that girl take this seriously?" Ryohei bellowed heatedly. Nikoru found him doing that quite often nowadays.

"Big brother, calm down!" Kyoko said fretfully.

Haru stared at Ryohei, inquisitiveness overtaking her. "Why are you so angry that Yuri-chan seems to be relaxed?"

Kyoko nodded firmly, eyes blazing. "Yuri-chan is out there, all defenseless! She's younger than us and there are people out to k-kill her." She couldn't halt the waver in voice. "Yuri-chan is a girl, so she must be scared; she's hiding her fear so that we don't worry over her…" Kyoko trailed off solemnly.

Nikoru slowly adjusted her torso so that she was gawking at Kyoko. That was the first Nikoru had ever seen - or heard - Kyoko display such vehemence. And to defend Yuri, of all people! Would wonders never cease? Was Nikoru in a parallel universe? Her head began to spin.

It took a while for Nikoru to finally register Kyoko's words. Yuri…was defenseless? Nikoru almost snorted aloud in a manner Yuri would approve of. Yuri - defenseless? As if! Yuri was one of the most feisty and vicious people Nikoru knew. If she ever got in a fight, Yuri would definitely scratch, slap, pinch, punch - even bite. And now she had her Tekkai, too.

True, Yuri was technically younger than everyone else, but her maturity - when she seldom unleashed it - surpassed everyone else's by far. Nikoru knew that better than everyone else: she was repeatedly lectured by Yuri for innocent remarks.

And Kyoko's last argument…was that Yuri was a girl? Nikoru bowed her head down in resignation - Yuri was right, these people were horribly sexist. Physically, Yuri was a girl. But mentally… Sometimes Nikoru doubted Yuri's awareness of genders. Yuri boomed with laughter when someone mentioned a perverted joke, twisted statements into something perverted, and she would rather hang out with guys than girls. Truthfully, Nikoru was gradually becoming like Yuri… Frightening.

Shirobara Nikoru quivered at the possibility of another Yuri.

oOoOo

Yuri sneezed several times. This only meant one thing: STUPID NIKORU HAD INFECTED HER! Or, people were talking behind her back. Maybe a combination of both…?

She rubbed her nose with the back of her wrist, and continued playing with Bob. Bob was concealing himself as a fly the entire time, hidden beneath Yuri's locks of hair. During the moment in which the warp activated, Bob morphed into a bear cub and hugged Yuri tightly so that he wouldn't fall off and be left all alone at Namimori Shrine.

Yuri bared a toothy grin as she squeezed Bob's gooey form. Bob was so smart. Hah, take _that_, Blue and Nikoru!

For what seemed like forever, Yuri occupied her bored mind with reading both novels and manga, and watching anime and drama. When she got tired of all four, she called Nikoru.

"Yuri?" Nikoru asked after the tone had dialed several times. "What's wrong?"

"Hey, what's happening now?" she questioned absentmindedly.

"Umm, everyone is becoming dramatic, and Gokudera-san is holding off Kikyo." Nikoru pulled her phone away from her ear as Yuri screeched in outrage and impatience.

Yuri slammed her phone shut, incredibly irritated. It seemed like she had to spend what seemed like the next hour doing nothing. Ah - she could practice using her Tekkai! Hmm, those clouds looked pretty…

oOoOo

Yuri heard the noise of Kikyo's arrival before the alarms within the unit she was lying atop of went off. Well, napping was another way to pass the time, too. Ah, speaking of Kikyo, didn't Yuri aggravate him by implying that he was more of a transvestite than even Squalo? Woops.

She nimbly swooped down, the gravel of the road touching her boots for a split second before she dove into the base unit. As Kikyo destroyed the last of the Vongola's traps, the base unit drove away, its tires screeching loudly.

Yuri bit her tongue. If only she could, she would leave the base and run away so that Irie and Spanner wouldn't get in between the fight. But she couldn't, because it was against the rules for the Target to leave their base. Damn it. Shoichi would still be injured in the crossfire. Oh, and Spanner, too.

Suddenly, the mobile base jerked violently and veered off-track - well, it felt like it veered off-track to Yuri - and then it all stopped. It was quiet, motionless. Other than the fact that the base unit seemed to balancing on one side by the wheels and everything was sliding downwards.

"Beep," squeaked Yuri, in an attempt to limit her cussing.

The base unit tumbled over; the weight of everything inside caused it to slam its roof onto the asphalt road aggressively, as though mocking everyone's wish - for Spanner, Irie, and Yuri all hoped that the base tilted back onto the other side safely.

Gravity worked its way and everything was thrown harshly onto the ceiling, with Yuri on the bottom of the pile which consisted of machines, devices, and two adults. Damn her luck.

Yuri winced in pain and rubbed her arms where she was sure bruises were going to form. She would have set up her Tekkai if she was given the chance and a warning, but Kikyo's attack was so abrupt that Yuri's mind wasn't even working properly. By the time her Tekkai was almost done, the base unit had already toppled over. It was that quick. It happened before anyone could gasp.

Yuri was reaching for her chest to check whether her Flame was alright, when she felt something atop of her. Something large and warm - it was a body. It was Irie's. Yuri's eyes widened in shock, and gently pushed Irie off of her. She laid him down beside her and instantly checked his pulse. He was alive, but he suffered intense wounds.

Then she realized why she wasn't as hurt as she thought she would be, why her head hadn't hit one of the machines and she hadn't suffered brain damage; Irie shielded her. At the last minute, he must have jumped onto her and tucked her small body inside his arms.

Hot tears burned in Yuri's eyes. She was meant to protect him, and she tried her best, but in the end he was the one protecting her. Her tears of anguish instantly turned into rage as her azure orbs flashed heatedly. It was all Kikyo's fault.

Yuri left Irie's comatose body, and strode mechanically outside of the desolation that was once their base unit. She subconsciously wiped the drops of blood away from her mouth and stared into the sky where Kikyo floated triumphantly.

"Oho," he chuckled in mild surprise and immense pleasure, "you're still alive."

Yuri gazed at him with such hated eyes, as if envisioning him burning alive, that her fury was almost palpable. She bit her tongue, to keep from lashing out verbally, therefore drawing blood. She allowed the rusty, salty flavor to dance within her mouth before running off, adrenaline pumping in her veins.

She planned to draw Kikyo away from the smoking wreckage, away from Irie and Spanner. How could he- how _dare_ he hurt Shoichi! Yuri's teeth grit and her jaw set, calm anger washing over her. Kikyo was going to pay. And pay dearly, at that.

Yuri skidded to a stop, scraping her boots slightly, and faced the soaring figure above her. Kikyo descended quickly, gaining momentum easily, and held a handful of plants with Cloud Flames dancing atop. As he flew down, he threw the plants like he would a dart.

Before the dart-like plants could rain down on her, Yuri fluidly pulled out her Ring and Boxes, and summoned both Bob and Cooro. Bob morphed into a dome-shaped shield that protected Yuri, while Cooro flew up and cluttered Kikyo's vision.

Yuri allowed herself to smirk victoriously.

Once the plants bounced harmlessly off the shield and fell to the ground, Bob changed into a large elephant and used its trunk to throw Yuri up into the air, wherein she tossed several Flame-emerged black feathers at her opponent.

Kikyo had managed to haul Cooro away from his eyes, but was soon hit with a burning sensation near his legs and stomach. The black objects stuck on to the surface they fell on, and continued to melt, causing searing pain.

Kikyo grunted, but didn't scream - Yuri was disappointed. All she wanted was revenge. Revenge for he did to Shoichi in this world, and for what he would have done if Yuri hadn't been the Target. She looked for Cooro, sensing that something was off. Yuri spotted something large and black, but it was on the ground. Cooro should have been airborne.

She ran clumsily to him, her ire dissipating into fear as she neared her friend. Cooro was lying on his back, wings spread out - but twisted into wrong angles. He was alive, thankfully, but in horrible pain. Both his wings were broken and a sharp plant stood out in his thigh. An agony-filled tear slid down Yuri's cheek as her mentality finally cracked.

Her arms fell limply by her side, as if lifeless. She barely registered the pain as a plant struck her back and went all the way through and out her stomach. Huh, Kikyo must have gotten rid of the black smudges by shooting plants out from within his body. Wasn't it about time for Yamamoto to knock out Daisy?

Yuri willed her body to get up and return to Irie, but more pain was piled onto her body and her vision was becoming cloudy. Everything was so…hazy now. And her eyes were getting heavy, her energy was also depleting. Maybe it was time to take a nap…

Kuraihana Yuri fell unconscious due to the overwhelming pain inflicted to her body.

oOoOo

Nikoru paled as the base toppled over. Because of the smoke uplifting due to the damage caused by Kikyo, the cameras were fogged up and saw nothing but shades of gray. Though Nikoru's eyes were glued to the screen, her senses told her what was happening around her.

Haru and Kyoko were whimpering in shock, hugging close to Bianchi. Bianchi in turn held them firmly, adjusting their torsos so that they couldn't see the screen in case something gruesome occurred.

Reborn, who was sitting on Dino's shoulder, had his fedora shadowing his eyes - his typical 'serious' position.

Dino was glaring hard at the television, his eyes scanning for any movement that would symbolize the others' safety.

Hibari watched on impassively, but something told Nikoru that he was worried for Yuri's safety. The crease in his brow and the light frown were big hints.

Chrome shivered in distress, tears of fright glistening in her eyes as she attempted to hold them back.

Ryohei was swallowing thickly, a thin coat of sweat spread across his forehead. His shoulders were hunched up with tension, his eyes worried and wary.

Basil was leaning forward slightly, watching fervently in apprehension.

Nikoru's eyes widened as the smoke began to fade, and something was emerging from the dented base. The camera focused on Yuri - for who else would have such a small stature? - and Nikoru relaxed once she saw her friend was alive.

But her relief was short-lived, for Yuri seemed like a hollow shell of her usual cheery self. This confused Nikoru deeply. Yuri appeared uninjured and unharmed, so why was she such a void husk presently? Nikoru gasped as comprehension hit her. Irie must have been hurt. And, if Yuri was so depressed over it, maybe it was due to her influence? Nikoru paid attention to the screen now more than ever.

Soon after, Nikoru found herself running to the scene of the crime along with everyone else. She had just witnessed Yuri's husk disappear and fight vehemently against Kikyo, only to have fallen unconscious after seeing Cooro's battered form.

Nikoru, seeing how she had more athletic ability than everyone else, was the first one to actually reach Yuri. The others were still far behind; Nikoru couldn't even see them anymore. Maybe it was unfair because Blue had given her a boost in the beginning…

As Nikoru came in arm-distance between her friend, Tsuna swooped down before her and looked at Yuri's comatose, battered body with worry. He kneeled down on one knee and turned her around, positioning Yuri so that she was facing him. Nikoru gagged as Yuri's neck lolled to the side, as though her body was empty and dead.

"She's alive," Tsuna whispered solemnly, exiting his Hyper Dying Will mode. "But her wounds scared me for a minute," he said in his higher-pitched voice.

Nikoru, by now, was at Yuri's other side, hastily tending to her injuries. Damn it, Kikyo really handed it to her. Nikoru ground her teeth to stop her lips from trembling and her tears from spilling.

She was so engrossed with her, and her guard was up so high that she almost lashed out at Irie, who had silently crept up behind her. Her rapid jerk had startled him, though - she must have appeared more frenzied than she felt. As her frazzled nerves relaxed, Nikoru's analytical eyes took in his situation.

He used one arm to clutch another, signalling that it was either bruised or broken; there was no blood. As he walked, his left leg limped somewhat, twitching at any sudden movement. His left cheek sported a red mark where Nikoru was definite a bruise was going to form the next day. And finally, the left side of his lower lip sported a shallow cut. From these points, Nikoru deduced that Irie's left side of his body must have dealt with all impact that transpired when the base tumbled around.

Well, at least he was better off than he had been in the original time-line - so Yuri had accomplished what she had set out for herself.

Irie stooped down in the empty spot beside Nikoru and used his good hand to hold Yuri's. "Is she all right?" he asked softly, his gaze never leaving Yuri's peaceful face.

"Of course," Nikoru said, managing a smile. "Yuri would never rest if she died because of this. She would surely haunt Kikyo for the rest of his life, if so."

Irie smiled. It was so true. He used his weakened hand to brush Yuri's hair from her face and caressed her cheek. It might have been Nikoru's imagination, but she could have sworn that she caught a glimpse of Yuri smiling.

"She pulled off a good fight," Gokudera commented. He was standing with his back to Nikoru, Irie, and Yuri. "The baseball idiot also did well," he said this to Tsuna, who was beside him.

"Yeah…" Tsuna mumbled noncommittally. Something was nibbling on the edge of his mind. His uneasy thoughts were proved sensible, for gasps were heard from behind him.

"Yuri," Nikoru gaped.

oOoOo

As darkness engulfed her and reality blacked out, Yuri was indifferent to the overwrought environment around her. Part of her mind was calm, peaceful, but a small voice in the background advised her to remain awake and aware.

Her body felt like heavy dumbbells; and besides, it wasn't even obeying her, but her mind was frantic. She needed to stay conscious! Major events were about to play out - events that Yuri needed to mess up - and she was going to remain comatose the whole time. Not cool.

She needed to see Yuni and Mukuro, she needed to meet Vongola Primo and annoy him so much that he would wish the Inheritance Succession trials would end quickly.

But even if she maintained consciousness, she would be too worn-out to actually do anything. Maybe…maybe she could use the drugs she nicked from Shamal's office awhile ago; initially, she had requested him to make it for her, but he wouldn't allot it without a kiss - so she left and returned later on to purloin it. Yes…it could work. But she needed to awaken first.

Ugh, if only Shoichi was there. Shoichi… Yuri swallowed the lump in her throat, and banished all pessimistic - if not realistic - thoughts about his condition. He was going to be alright. At least his condition was better now than in the actual storyline. That was a favorable point.

Thinking about Irie made Yuri smile pleasantly, she could almost hear him speaking right now. If strained her ears and focused, she could make out the words he was saying with that sweet voice of his. Yuri loved Irie's voice, she couldn't help it. Every time he spoke, she became more indulged and drawn in - his voice was like enjoyable honey to her. It was one of the reasons why she loved him.

"…depressed about how I never fulfilled my dream to become a musician."

Yuri chuckled. That was always an odd dream. Too bad Shoichi never realized what a fantastic singer he was.

"Yuri," gasped a familiar voice.

Yuri frowned in confusion. Why did she just hear Nikoru's voice? Was she having daydreams about her? That would be…weird. Also, why did her hand feel so warm? It was like something was cloaking it, hanging onto it. It better not be Nikoru.

"That would be fucking gross," Yuri said vehemently with a grimace. She only swore when her modality was fervent. Huh? A moment ago, she was floating in darkness. So why was she looking at the cerulean sky now?

Yuri beamed. "I'm back." And it was all thanks to Irie. …And partially thanks to creepy thoughts involving Nikoru. Yuri shivered, and attempted to sit up.

"Don't move, Yuri," Irie cautioned. "Your wounds will open up."

Nikoru gently pushed Yuri's shoulders down. "You're alright," she smiled. "Well, you're in good enough condition to grimace and cuss, at least."

Yuri grinned at Nikoru. "It was amazing," she said in a breathless voice. "I was running around in a field of flowers, and there were books everywhere. I was on one side of a river and on the other was my deceased grandpa: he kept calling to me and told me to come to the other side."

Nikoru stared at Yuri. She didn't know whether Yuri was lying or not, but was freaked out nonetheless. That was _definitely_ the river that separated the living from the dead.

_(A/N: From __Fly High__; I do not own. OMG, the ending was so shit. D:)_

Yuri grinned at Nikoru's bemusement, and tightened her grip around Irie's hand. Irie squeezed it back in return while he continued with his narration.

Her mind was set in a daze as all the explanations went through one ear and out the other. She softly to Nikoru, so that no one else could hear, "Pass me Bob."

Bob hopped onto Yuri's chest first and peered down at her face innocently. It made a questioning sound that Yuri supposed it meant: "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She smiled. Bob was too adorable! "Could you cough up the pills?"

Bob appeared confused for a second, but soon nodded in affirmation. He (for, of course, he was male. What sane person would dub a female 'Bob'? Then again, Yuri might have…) opened his mouth so widely that Yuri was shocked. A small container filled with pills was soon exiting his mouth in a comical manner. He literally coughed the pills up.

"Thanks," Yuri murmured, petting Bob who was now in the form of a bear cub. She fidgeted with lid and briefly hoped that her carton and Tsuna's one containing Dying Will pills never got mixed up and each took one another's. Then again, that would be exciting. Right, she was getting distracted.

Yuri dug out two small tablets - no bigger than her fingernail - and closed her hand to keep it from falling. She wouldn't consume them yet: she would take the pills as soon as the time called for it - which was once Yuni appeared.

Each pill provided Yuri with all her energy, replenished, and all her wounds would become null for ten minutes. Not healed, but it would be so that her injuries would cause no pain, nor would it worsen. Now that Yuri took it into consideration, these pills were a lot like Dying Will pills.

Of course, there were drawbacks to balance it out. For every ten minutes she felt rejuvenated, her wounds would ache and throb unbearably afterwards. And then, inevitably, she would fall unconscious due to either the immense pain, or because of the other side effect in which the consumer fell comatose and weary.

Yuri sighed minutely. The consequences were rather dire, but it _did_ save her the trouble of trying to stay awake.

She was jolted out of her musings by Nikoru's subtle shove. When Yuri gazed inquisitively at her, Nikoru inclined her head to where Byakuran and his followers stood.

"What?" she said densely and rather bluntly.

Byakuran's smile grew, contradicting the irritation underneath. "I said that it was a shame that the Vongola couldn't defeat me, and how it was your entire fault because your Flame was extinguished so easily. Aren't I right, Yuri-kun?"

Yuri smiled sweetly. She was extremely tempted to say something vulgar, but that would cause an abrupt war. Instead, she said, "If you say so, Byakuran-sama."

Nikoru grimaced lightly. "You know, you really shouldn't address him so deferentially."

The wounded girl merely stuck her tongue out, unable to counter Nikoru's remark.

"Nice to meet you, members of the Vongola." Yuni smiled beautifully, startling Yuri, for she hadn't noticed Yuni's appearance until recently.

Yuri's eyes narrowed. "What?" she spat. "How dare she be cuter than me?"

Nikoru rolled her eyes. "And you call Byakuran a pedophile."

Yuri looked away, but didn't disagree. It was time. She opened her hand and brought the pills up to her lips, wincing as the pain struck her. The affect was instant. It was as if a sea of clam had washed over her soul, cooling and refreshing it. And then she abruptly became invigorated - she could almost feel her Flames rushing throughout her body like a river after its blockade was removed.

She grinned, her eyes flashing crazily. In Nikoru's point of view, Yuri looked like a psychotic killer - like a cross between Mukuro and Hibari. That idea was ghastly. A cross between those two only meant that it was their child… Perverted giggles escaped Nikoru's lips.

Yuri's lip curled in disgust as she rose onto her feet, surprising Irie; she easily pulled him up with her.

"You shouldn't be standing!" Irie chided in a hushed whisper. "What about your condition?"

"Oh, it's okay," Yuri assured him. "I'm taking drugs."

Before Irie could yelp in horror, Kyoko cried in alarm. Yuri's head automatically snapped towards Byakuran, who was approaching Yuni with an uncanny obsessive air. Yuri sprinted toward the empty space between the two and threw her hands out, using them as a shield for Yuni.

"Yuri-kun, don't interfere," Byakuran warned with a smile.

Yuri stuck her tongue out impishly. "I don't like it when you're like this, Byakuran-sama; you're acting like a pedophile - or Nikoru when there's a yaoi moment in front of her."

"Hey!" Nikoru cried, indignant.

Kikyo arched a brow in disbelief. "Oho. I don't how you've healed so quickly, but you have to learn your place. It appears that I have to teach you another lesson." He smirked.

Yuri bared her teeth. "Suck my metaphorical balls, you tranny."

Almost too fast for anyone to see, Kikyo flung dart-like plants at Yuri. Yuri hauled her body down, sliding across the gravel as she dodged. Meanwhile, as she rose and dusted her clothing, Byakuran resumed his course toward Yuni.

Yuri saw no need to return to Yuni's side since Reborn was raising his pistol and aiming for Byakuran, but even if she did want to, she couldn't; Kikyo was busy with his intention of taking her life.

Yuri saw it fit to simply stand still and allow Kikyo to throw all his attacks on her; they would have little to no affect since her Tekkai would be enforced with all her will. Simple, really - but it took a lot of concentration.

But before she could summon up her Tekkai, Byakuran ordered Kikyo to cease in his unstoppable attacks, and then bargained with Yuni.

Kikyo gazed at Yuri, no doubt picturing himself striking her heart in one swift movement. Yuri saw this, too, and smirked challengingly. He may have labeled her unwise for doing so, but Kikyo was unaware of Yuri's newly-attained knowledge.

In the course of Yuri and Kikyo's battle prior, Bob had transformed into a flea - once he was no longer required - and agilely hopped up to Kikyo. Bob proposed to utilize his abilities to unearth Kikyo's most dreaded fear and present Yuri the new information.

Man, she loved Bob! And Cooro, too, who had safely returned to his Box.

Byakuran opened his palm and extended his arm before him, opening his mouth to speak. As Tsuna panicked over what to do, Yuri decided to take charge. She grabbed Yuni's forearm as she ran, urging her to follow.

"We'll protect you," Yuri said firmly. "Well, the others will do all the fighting; I'll be your shield. So join us, Yuni." She grinned.

Tsuna overcame his initial shocked and nodded determinedly. "Everyone, we have to protect her!"

The tears of relief and elation sparkled in Yuni's eyes as she smiled. "Thank you, everyone."

Yuri smiled at the girl's purity. It was a shame that she was going to die further on in the future. Now that they were acquainted, Yuri slipped her through Yuni's and tugged her along - for it was easier for the both this way as Yuri might accidentally let go and Yuni's are may have ached under the tight grip.

"M-Mukuro-sama…" Chrome whispered softly, her cheeks developing a healthy bit of colour.

"Mukuro?" Tsuna screeched in agitation.

"Mukuro!" Yuri cheered happily. "Wow, you became hot."

"Yuri, you have a boyfriend," Nikoru said immediately, repeating her earlier statement.

Yuri sent her an inappropriate hand gesture, using her free hand to shield Yuni's untainted orbs.

Mukuro glanced at Yuri, eyes narrowing as he spotted her fatal wounds. And yet, she remained standing and quite bubbly. Well, such was Yuri. "You look…dead," he offered.

"Oh, Kikyo-chan did to me," she said with a curt nod. Yuri found it scornfully amusing to address such a dangerous man with an adorable title. Surely, it would tick him off to no extent.

Mukuro had no time to respond and turned back just in time to block Byakuran's strike.

Watching the struggle ahead, Yuri bit her lower lip apprehensively. Byakuran's taunting was relentless, so Yuri decided to use her atmosphere-changing powers for good, for once.

"Yeah! Hand it to him, Byakuran-sama!" she praised vociferously. "Verbally pound that pineapple mind-rapist! I mean, he attempted to take over the world by beating up teenagers." She laughed derisively.

Mukuro silently vowed to torture her once everything was over.

"Hey, Nikoru - 10069," Yuri muttered in a voice devoid of emotion, not even making the effort to watch Nikoru's reaction. It would be the same - squeals and figurative hearts flowing above her head as she drooled and fabricated various daydreams. Why were they friends, again?

"I don't think you should be insulting our savior, Yuri-san," Yuni advised nervously.

Yuri smirked. "It's okay; he's used to it."

For some reason, that did not assure Yuni in the least. Weird. But the Arcobaleno Boss's qualms were quelled as she was transported to Namimori via the Flame Ring Teleportation System.

* * *

**Author's rants: **Well, I would have updated earlier if I had some awesome fanfics to read. But sadly, KHR is bereft of fanfics that contain proper grammar and accurate spelling, no yaoi or romance in general, and no proper plot-construction whatsoever.

And the fics that I already do read, well, FOR SOME REASON THEY ALL HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE MONTHS AGO! LIKE, SERIOUSLY, WHAT IS THIS? AKDFHDSAFHIAOWAIASIFJ

Oh, and I watched HP on the weekend. :D

I received two reviews for the filler. So happy... :') Hint: this is sarcasm, my dears. Either you guys are busy, or you're giving me the silent treatment.

_Published date: _04-12-10

_Edited date: _01-05-11


	25. Enter: First Generation Vongola Family

**Author's ote: **Crap. I just realized something. I accidentally posted Chapter 26 instead of this one. Hehe, my bad. OMG. 

And I just realized another thing. This is meant to be Chapter 24, and the next is 25. Well, thanks for all the people who noticed and told me. IT WAS SARCASM.**  
**

* * *

Chapter 24

_Enter: Inheritance Trials_

"Why weren't you there during the Inheritance Trial?" Nikoru asked curiously.

"Because I'd rather not watch as Yamamoto totally becomes OOC and obviously fails his test," Yuri sneered. "I mean, even I noticed he did something wrong the first time I watched this. And I'm younger than him. Hell!" she cried. "Even Reborn or Colonello should have put a stop to this.

"And doesn't Tsuna have Hyper Intuition or some random crap like that?" she questioned rhetorically to a stunned Nikoru, who looked like she was regretting her question as time ticked by. "He should have noticed, at the very least." Yuri finished her rant by sighing deeply as weariness sunk into her eyes while her shoulders slumped.

"Geez," Nikoru grumbled, "it was only a simple question."

"Yeah," Yuri allowed. "But I've been suppressing in that outburst for weeks, so…" She shrugged helplessly. "And don't even get me started on G's one." Yuri groaned just thinking about how obvious G's act was.

"Don't worry," Nikoru assured hastily. "I don't want to act as your sounding board, again."

"Thank God…" Yuri murmured.

"So what have you been doing these past nights?" Nikoru inquired curiously, paying no mind to Nezu-sensei's lecture on how Australia was moving upwards near the equator twenty centimeters each year.

Yuri grinned. "Sleepover with Shoichi. It gets very lonely in my apartment, you know; I only have Cooro and Bob to keep me company."

Nikoru blinked. "Sleepover…with a guy?" Seeing how she constantly spent time with Yuri, her mind had inevitably become extremely perverted. She instantaneously fabricated perverted scenes. "How could you? You're only twelve-years-old!" Nikoru cried in astonishment, her chair creating a horrible screech against the tiles as she abruptly stood up.

"Actually," Yuri said calmly, though her eyes danced merrily at Nikoru's horror, "I'm thirteen. My birthday was on the exact day I first travelled to the admittedly boring future," she said this a bit wistfully, for it wasn't exactly a birthday she would cherish forever.

"Ahem," said Nezu-sensei with a pointed cough. "Are you two done?" he asked gruffly, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes," Yuri answered blandly, ignoring his blatant sarcasm. Disregarding the spluttering man, Yuri peered up at her petrified friend. "And we did nothing dirty, you pervert." She seemed so gleeful when saying those words, and for a good reason, too - to Nikoru, Yuri was the last person she wanted to say those words. "We just played board-games and games on Xbox. We also talked and he tutored me in subjects." She gave a thumbs-up and grinned.

Nikoru slowly descended into her seat. "Oh. I see." She appeared calm for a moment, and then her head whipped back toward Yuri. "What did you play on Xbox?"

Yuri pursed her lips, now wanting to answer. "…Well, you might have heard of it," she stalled.

Nikoru raised an eyebrow, a silent gesture for Yuri to continue.

"I mean, it's pretty popular, especially among the guys… But," she said in a lighter tone, "Shoichi doesn't seem too particularly interested in it. Then again, it must because he's swamped under all that homework. I can only help him so much, unfortunately."

She prolonged her disregard of Nikoru's interested, and slightly impatient, stare. "Of course, I'm the one who bought the Xbox - his mom probably wouldn't allow it. CoD is really fun-" As soon as she admitted that, Yuri's body congealed. She slowly and stiffly turned to Nikoru, who was wide-eyed.

"Did you just say…CoD? As in…Call of Duty?" Nikoru asked, visibly alarmed. "That boyfriend-stealing game?"

"Ah…" Yuri said brightly. "Yeah, it is. But don't worry, I have more important things to do than gluing my eyes to a screen; I have some plotting to do!" She grinned widely.

Nikoru gave her a blank stare. "You spend too much time with Hibari-san and Mukuro."

Yuri suddenly grimaced, causing Nikoru raise an intrigued eyebrow. "Why are you looking so disgusted?" she inquired.

If anything, Yuri looked even more revolted. "Stupid Ken and Chikusa, stupid Mukuro, stupid misinterpretations…" she grumbled crossly. Sighing, she decided to elaborate. "Well, I was having dinner with Shoichi and Naru-chan…"

Irie had been fidgeting uncomfortably. "Do you _really_ want to have a sleepover?" he asked, for it would lead to many questions if any outsider had learnt of this little event. And there was also no telling of how his mother and sister would react. Irie muffled a groan.

"Huh?" Yuri said quizzically all of a sudden, interrupting the retelling of her story. "Oh, right." Without further verbal clarification, Yuri reached into her bag and pulled out a small tiger. Ignoring the lunchtime chatter surrounding her, she casually and rather unceremoniously tossed Minimized Blue to the startled Nikoru.

"Anyway…"

Yuri and Irie had paid for their meal and were walking back to Irie's for their sleepover, when unexpectedly two figures made their presences known. Before the moonlight could shed light and distinguish the unknown people's features, Yuri's feline senses kicked in. Her sense of smell was acute thanks to her part-cat self.

The aromas were…confusing. One was similar to urine of a cat - ironically enough - and garbage that had been in the sun for an extended amount of time. The other was, thankfully, much more unpolluted and pure. The second odor was pleasant and cleansing; it reminded Yuri of the rich soap found in extravagant and regal hotels.

The two were such brilliant examples of juxtaposition, and Yuri knew of only two people who fit that position precisely.

"Byan!"

Yuri abstained from groaning in utmost exasperation.

Ken landed in front of Yuri. "You!" he declared dramatically.

Yuri rolled her eyes, which in turn assured Irie that these people didn't raise any wariness. "What?" she spat.

"Why are you with _him_?" Ken asked rudely, inching his head toward the stunned Irie.

"What's your problem?" Yuri shot back, angry and somewhat surprised of Ken's obvious hatred. What did he have against Irie? He was, like, the least threatening person ever. She was so focused on that that she didn't take note of Ken's lack of his speech impediment until later. But then again, he might have only lost it when he was really riled up.

While Ken spluttered, Chikusa decided to take the stage. He adjusted his glasses, the moonlight reflecting on them giving him an eerie look. "What Ken means is that he's distraught that you're with a boy."

"And why is that any of his business?" Yuri asked irately, directing a glare at the glowering Ken.

Chikusa hesitated, and Yuri thought that he appeared nervous for a moment. "Because…Mukuro-sama likes you." The moment those words departed from Chikusa's lips, time seemed to have stopped.

"…What?" Yuri asked weakly after a moment. "What are you…?" she trailed off, wide-eyed. "Uhh." Yuri coughed uncomfortably. "Yeah. Can you explain?"

Irie, meanwhile, was occupying himself by watching Naru-chan fly into the inky black sky, as though chasing after the shimmering stars that winked playfully. He knew better than to listen in to Yuri's conversations with strangers - it often ended in resentment and very disturbing misinterpretations.

As Chikusa opened his mouth to answer, Ken interrupted, "What do you mean, explain? You said it yourself!"

Yuri tilted her head childishly with befuddled eyes. Then, the light of understanding dawned. She flushed heatedly. "You idiot!" she screeched, glaring fiercely at Ken. "I meant that Mukuro liked me as a friend!" she hissed. "A friend!" she repeated, her eyes glowing dangerously.

Ken looked appropriately mortified while Chikusa sighed deeply.

By the time Yuri was done with her recount of events, Nikoru was trying her hardest to contain her laughter. But Yuri merely stared dully at her, paying almost no attention to Nikoru's cheeks, which were puffed up with enclosed laughter.

"Die, bitch."

And as though that phrase were a detonator, Nikoru burst out into a fit of fierce laughter.

'_Mukuro,'_ Yuri thought, contacting Mukuro with her link.

'_**Yes?'**_ Mukuro said questioningly several seconds later.

'_Your minions are idiots,'_ she said bluntly.

Yuri could have sworn she heard a minute sigh. _**'I know.'**_

oOoOo

"Go-ku-de-ra!" Yuri sang, enunciating each syllable with cheerfulness that belied her inner mischief. She almost ruined her little act by sneering in disgust at the shocked and disbelieving faces that greeted her. But there _was_ a reason for that reaction - Yuri and Gokudera utterly despised each other.

Gokudera turned to Yuri, patiently watching her. "Yes?" he asked in a voice that was devoid of any spite.

Yuri giggled, which inadvertently sent shivers down everyone else's spines. "Have lunch with me on the roof!" she chirped brightly.

Gokudera seemed slightly disgruntled, but agreed anyway. "Sure." And he followed the skipping Yuri out evenly.

Nikoru refrained from rolling her eyes, though she did whisper "Oh my god". And she a plausible basis for her slight vexation, too. Whenever Yuri acted utterly pure and giggly, it immediately and undeniably spelt out trouble that usually involved twisting people's minds.

Yuri hummed pleasantly in the middle of the roof of Namimori Middle as Gokudera trudged up the stairs. Instead of his usual surly look plastered on to his face, he seemed quite…impassive, like Hibari. It was odd, really, in Yuri's eyes.

But she merely sighed in disappointment. Whipping around so that she could face the level Gokudera, her lip curled slightly. "You'd think that one of the best Vongola Guardians would have more sense to observe their prey before imitating them," she said idly.

Gokudera looked decidedly bemused. "What are you talking about?"

"Gokudera Hayato has an extremely short temper," Yuri said, paying no attention to G. "He talks with a rough voice that seems always irritated. He is rash and boisterous. And he will snap at anyone other than Tsuna."

G merely stared.

"You're obviously not Gokudera," Yuri concluded. "I'm somewhat - but not very - surprised that no one has figured that out yet. And Tsuna is supposed to have Hyper Intuition, or was that locked by Giotto?" She frowned thoughtfully. She sighed abruptly. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Who are you?" G asked, eyes narrowing in distrust. "Actually, what are you?"

"A human," Yuri replied, deadpan.

G almost lost his temper, but visibly calmed himself. "It's obvious - well, to you, at least - that I'm not Gokudera. But how did you know Giotto locked away the boy's Intuition?"

Yuri stopped herself from grinning broadly. "Because I'm awesome."

G had a very fervent urge to strangle the girl. And as time wore on and G continued his endless raid of inquiries that pressed Yuri for more details - and Yuri herself was supplying him with vague, curt answers - he found himself wanting to inflict major bodily harm on her.

But then again, Yuri tended to have that effect on people.

Meanwhile, Nikoru was on Yuri's magic laptop (since she had finished lunch and felt no immediate need to speak to the others at the moment), messaging Fuyu - a close friend of Yuri and Nikoru's that was one of the very few who knew of the girls' genuine situation. Nikoru stopped to muse about the problems that their sudden disappearance may add.

Maybe Fuyu was simply in another world, a world where Majo had sent her to - and warned her not to inform anyone else about, for the results would be catatonic. And Nikoru's home-world was actually frozen in time, and not even a second had passed ever since their adventure began.

Nikoru snorted in disbelief. It sounded like a bad adventure-fic. She paused. Maybe Yuri would like to write something like that? It would be completely ironic if it was true, though. _(A/N: OMFG, I FOUND MY SUMMER PROJECT. AHAHAHAHAHA. Any suggestions as to what anime I should write about? :D Uhh, on with the story!)_

She diverted her wandering attention back to her e-mail. She was recounting the events that took place during Asari Ugetsu's - or, as Yuri put it, Usagi (as Asari and Ugetsu combined had apparently led to Usagi, which meant rabbit) - Trial. She recalled it quite easily, due to the fact that she had a brilliant memory - worse than Irie's but enormously better than Yuri's.

"Vongola, fight!"

Nikoru used her hand to cover her face in embarrassment as she was released from their 'usual' war-cry circle. Somehow, with no Yuri to mock things and lighten up the atmosphere, Nikoru felt…exposed. But nonetheless, she shook it off and waited in anticipation for Asari Ugetsu to appear.

As the boys shifted restlessly and impatiently, Nikoru mused about whether or not she and Yuri would be involved in a Trial, too - since they were the Guardians of the Moon Ring, of course. Did only Giotto know of the Moon Rings, or did he inform his other Guardians? Nevertheless, Nikoru would be satisfied with either outcome.

"Do your best, Yamamoto-kun," Nikoru said cheerfully. She was going to say "And don't lose your cool or act so hasty," but she knew it would horribly damage the fragile plot-line, and - as a small, selfish portion of herself reminded her - Yuri would rant until she was satisfied.

When Yamamoto and Asari were done exchanging pleasantries and whatnot, Asari pulled out his three knives and Yamamoto foolishly misinterpreted due to his urgency. Nikoru had to bite her tongue from crying out loud: "You misunderstand, Yamamoto-kun!"

Nikoru's fingers paused above the keyboard of Yuri's laptop as her mind raced with a new idea. Since Fuyu wrote about Nikoru and Yuri's adventures, Nikoru just watching would be quite dull, wouldn't it? Nikoru's amber eyes flashed with an idea so brilliant that her hands moved instantly and automatically - as though they had minds of their own.

Nikoru grinned and began writing what she would do if she didn't have to fret about the consequences of her actions.

"A real fight?" Yamamoto asked with a fierce scowl. He didn't register Asari's obvious alarm, for thrill and adrenaline of a battle danced in his veins. "That's more like it!" His intensity was almost palpable.

Just as Yamamoto made a move to bring out his Box Weapon, Nikoru swiftly took two large steps that brought her instantly to the younger Rain Guardian's side. She held back his right arm, the arm where his Ring sat.

"Calm down," she ordered softly and soothingly.

But Yamamoto didn't listen.

The exigency finally overwhelmed the boy, which inevitably turned into ferocity so unlike him that it startled everyone. He roughly shoved Nikoru away, almost slamming her stomach with his elbow. He gave her a sharp look before facing Asari Ugetsu, who was frowning with concern.

Before Yamamoto could even think of lunging, Asari held up a hand. "That's enough," he said, actually scowling slightly. "You are clearly unable to inherit my power as the Rain Guardian. You fail."

And without another word, Asari Ugetsu vanished in a multitude of watery, blue flames.

oOoOo

Nikoru shook her head, deleting the entire section she had just written. It was too dramatic. She stared at the still screen for awhile, her mind as blank as the document in front of her. It seemed that she had taken Yuri for advantage; writing was harder than it seemed, especially for someone who had little imagination.

Finally, after two scoops of exceptionally cold boysenberry ice-cream (her favourite), Nikoru's fingers danced rapidly on the letters of her keyboard and wrote her second - and hopefully more light-hearted - version of Yamamoto's Inheritance Trial.

oOoOo

"A real fight?" Yamamoto said, half-shouting. His mind didn't register Asari's wide eyes until later, but it would already be too late. "That's more like it!" His normally jovial eyes were alight with vicious determination.

"Wait," Nikoru commanded quietly, walking calmly toward Yamamoto. When she was beside the taller boy, she gazed grimly at him, causing several people to send her stunned stares. "Yamamoto-kun, calm down for a minute." When he obliged, albeit reluctantly, Nikoru continued, "Asari-san isn't going to fight you - he's only displaying his weapons. Don't be rash."

To everyone's immense astonishment, Yamamoto laughed. But unlike his usual refreshing chuckled, this one seemed more…wild, more insane. Yamamoto doubled over, on his knees, clutching his stomach.

In between his untamed laughter, Yamamoto managed to say, "I can't believe I almost made a huge mistake and lost my chances of succeeding my Trial." He wiped away a mirth-filled tear.

Everyone merely stared incredulously while Asari shook his head in vast disappointment. "You fail," he announced, quiet amongst Yamamoto's uncontrollable chuckles.

Nikoru stared in horror. She couldn't believe what she had subjected Yamamoto to - his mind was horrendously stressed under the pressure of saving the world, then he was so brutal he very nearly performed an unprovoked attack, and finally he realized his exceedingly obvious mistake that almost cost him everything.

Unfortunately, his mentality couldn't take all this so suddenly, so he snapped; his frame of mind was beyond repair. Nikoru sunk to her knees in hopelessness. Now Byakuran was going to take over the world, and it was all because of her!

oOoOo

Nikoru allowed a rare grimace touch her lips. It seemed somehow grisly when it was designed to be jocular - she didn't miss the irony of that statement, though.

She sighed heavily and tried once more. Third time lucky, right?

oOoOo

"A real fight?" There was a mad glint in Yamamoto's hard eyes. "That's more like it!"

"Don't!" Nikoru gasped. "You're wrong, Yamamoto-kun. He's not going to fight you. Don't throw away your chances before the Trial even starts."

Yamamoto appeared as though he were petrified. His astounded orbs met Nikoru's anxious ones. She was telling the truth. And he was too insane with anger that he didn't stop to think about it. This wasn't the proper behaviour for the Rain Guardian at all. He was supposed to be the calm rain that washed everything away; instead, he was acting the opposite.

He had allowed his anger rage to sink its claws into him; he allowed it to overwhelm him.

A sudden sense of despondency washed over him like a tidal wave. He sunk to his knees slowly, his eyes hollow and devoid of any positive emotion. His mouth was oddly dry.

"Tsuna…" Yamamoto croaked. "I've failed you." His dead eyes bored into the frightened brunette's. "I'm not fit to be your Guardian." And Yamamoto did something unexpected - he took his own life.

"Baseball idiot!" Gokudera cried in astonishment and fear.

"Yamamoto-kun-!" Tsuna sobbed.

oOoOo

Nikoru groaned. Apparently, writing just wasn't her thing. And what was equally evident, if not more so, was that Nikoru must never, ever be left alone with her own devices - if Yuri hadn't been acting as her anchor, then catastrophic things would happen.

As the recorded bell chimed, Nikoru was saved from having to rack her brains to squeeze out a new idea. Which was good, she mused as she stored Yuri's laptop away, because her next proposal consisted of Yuri arriving and admonishing everyone herself.

Nikoru suddenly blinked. Where had she gotten her ice-cream from?

But as time wore on and Nikoru, along with the rest of the class - excluding Yuri, who was still not back yet - was assigned a horde of homework, and that banished all thoughts of the ice-cream mystery easily enough.

And while she doodled images of a cross-dressing Tsuna, a certain wish-granting witch hummed in the corridor beyond classroom 2-A.

oOoOo

"Oh, hey," Yuri said lazily, "it's Lambo's older brother that has green hair." She slurped loudly at her drink through bored eyes.

Meanwhile, Nikoru was gazing out the window of the fake castle at the summit of the amusement park. Lambo was presently running amok around what normal people would consider a fun recreational area, but Tsuna and his friends were clearly having anything but fun.

"Oh," Lampo said with identical indolence, "it's you." He paused. "Who are you?"

Yuri blinked. "Why do you care?" She was drained from dragging Nikoru around to various rides and screaming in excitement as the roller-coaster bopped up and down. Her throat was parched and hoarse afterwards, and she was currently downing her fifth drink.

"I don't," Lampo assured. "But it seemed like the only thing to say."

"Ah."

Several seconds had passed by, and Yuri decided to break the silence with a casual "So, do you like cheese?"

Nikoru stared hard at the beautiful hues the sky was as the sun set, concentrating on blocking out Yuri's absurd conversation with Lampo - who was thick enough to answer Yuri's seemingly random question.

"Cheese is nice."

Unfortunately, Vongola Primo had terrible timing. "Lampo?" he asked uncertainly, for it was entirely strange for Lampo to say that - especially during a Trial; albeit the fact that the boy did seem indifferent to it.

"Oh," Lampo said unconcernedly, "Primo."

"Whoa," Yuri whispered, her eyes widening as though she had just been woken from a dream. "He looks younger again."

Giotto didn't reply, thankfully. Instead, he donned a calculating gaze. "Ah, it's you two," he said, not in an unkindly tone, as he looked from Nikoru and Yuri.

Nikoru raised a curious eyebrow, squashing her Inner Fangirl, who was squealing about. Ever since it was announced that Giotto had orange eyes - and not blue - she wasn't as…vigorously interested, to put it nicely, prior to when she thought he had dazzling azure eyes.

Yuri watched as Giotto smiled alluringly, but she felt that something was off. The smile didn't reach his eyes, as though he was planning something…something that involved her and Nikoru.

That only left one obvious conclusion: He was going to put them through a Trial.

Hopefully whoever was going to proctor the Trial would be someone as laid-back as Lampo.

"I'll be seeing you," Giotto said as farewell. But whether he was speaking to Lampo or the girls, no one was certain.

Well, until later that night.

"So," Nikoru said shortly. "Why am I up on the roof of your apartment, gazing at the moon?"

Instead of answering, Yuri frowned in confusion. "Isn't it called stargazing?"

"Well, it would - if the lights from the city didn't cloak it," Nikoru replied. "Now answer the question."

Yuri exhaled a long-suffering sigh. "Because I have a feeling that someone is going to pop up randomly and proctor our Moon Guardian Trial-thing. And so it's best if we're together." She paused, realizing that she hadn't actually answered Nikoru's question. "And we're watching the moon because it sort of suits the atmosphere. And I'm capped."

Nikoru didn't know what her last statement had to do with everything, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.

The girls spent the rest of the night up on the roof, squandering away their time by talking animatedly about things that weren't exactly imperative. Once they had run out of idle things to converse about, or they were too drowsy to command their jaws to move, they simply laid back on the hard cement and watched the breath-taking night sky.

Just as it had hit midnight, a deafening pop resounded in the otherwise silent area, jolting Yuri and Nikoru out of their weary trance.

It was Majo, and she was grinning openly.

"Boysenberry ice-cream?"

That made no sense whatsoever to Yuri, who began to doze off once more. However, Majo was looking at Nikoru, her eyes skipping with amusement.

Since her mind was still worn-out, it took Nikoru awhile for her to register Majo's words. Eyes widening, she gasped a comprehending "Oh!" and found herself fully awake.

"You're here for our Trial, aren't you?" Nikoru asked, for once abandoning all subtlety. Yuri would have asked sooner, but she was occupied in the dream-world.

Majo smiled. "Yes. Your duties as the Moon Guardians are simple: they are to protect your Family from harm, but they mustn't be aware of your actions or interference. Now," the deity continued in a very courteous voice that seemed odd on her, "in order to pass you must display your resolve as a Moon Guardian-"

"Yeah," Yuri interrupted, blinking herself awake, "what a_re_ the requirements again?"

"Umm," Majo blinked, off-track, "well, the Dark Moon Guardian destroys everything that threatens the Family's safety, yet does it in a skillful, cunning way. The White Moon Guardian protects and defends."

Yuri grimaced. "That sounds like a replication of the Storm and Lightning Guardians' duties."

Majo intelligently ignored Yuri and her wise-cracks, since _she_ was the one who created the Rings in the first place and thus their responsibilities.. "Anyway," she resumed her report, her polite demeanour back in place, "the Trial will occur sometime tomorrow."

Yuri scowled at the vague information. "Sometime tomorrow?" she echoed. "What if we're asleep or miles away from Tsuna and his band of idiots?" At Nikoru's baffled eyes, Yuri explained, "Well, we have to lend a hand to our Family, right? That's our duty, after all."

Majo pursed her lips in irritation and impatience. "It's sometime tomorrow when you'll be nearby all of them," she snapped, her refined attitude crumbling. And with that, she disappeared from view as a breeze swept the sky.

Nikoru frowned, her eyes clouded with puzzlement. The Trial was going to take place when she was with Tsuna? But that was most of the day. What if Nikoru was so thoroughly on-guard that she would snap at every sharp noise?

She turned to Yuri, and figured that she would be glowering in bewilderment. But Yuri was grinning broadly.

Sensing Nikoru's curious eyes on her, Yuri turned and said, "Majo, whether intentional or not, just left us a massive hint. Our Trial will obviously happen at school and during school hours. When else do I spend time with the Tenth Generation Boss?" she asked rhetorically. Shuddering at the implication of willingly spending time with the steadily-maturing teenager, Yuri carried on. "No, Tsuna and his Guardians will be placed in danger while at Namimori Middle School."

Rather than appearing appropriately afraid, Nikoru demonstrated a rare moment of perception. "Why didn't we receive tutors?"

Yuri cursed long and hard at the obvious fact she had mistakenly overlooked, waking up several people who demanded that she shut her trap. She then grumbled insults that would have gotten her in much trouble if they were coherent.

Unfortunately, Hibari was taking a night-time stroll and passed by a certain apartment at that moment.

* * *

_Published date: _


	26. Enter: Moon Trial

**Author's rant: **HOLY SHIT! I'M ALIVE! I'M NOT BLIND! Then why haven't I been updating? Because I was lazy- busy. LOL. Here ya go! A crappy chapter, but a chapter nonetheless! Be happy. :|

Uh, happy belated New Year! LMAO. Ugh. It's going to be 43 degrees celcius on Australia Day. I DON'T WANNA GO BACK TO SCHOOL WHEN IT'S SUMMER. WAHHHH! Seriously, who wants to sit in a stuffy classroom with no air-con all day when it's blazing hot outside? You do? Um, you have issues...like Yuri.

* * *

Chapter 25

_Enter: Moon Trial_

Shirobara Nikoru tapped her pen onto her table continuously as she stared out the window, her mind wandering. She paid no mind to Nezu-sensei's endless rants about how tests were the utmost importance - Yuri snorted when he began and muttered darkly about whether a sheet of paper would protect him from a knife or gun – and instead mused about her (and Yuri's) upcoming Trial.

To be honest, she wished that Majo had gotten it over and done with already. All this nervous anticipation – it was, indeed, and oxymoron, but Nikoru couldn't help but feel at least a little excited for the Trial; the second (Yuri and Kikyo's being the first) battle she was ever uncertain of ever since she arrived in Namimori – was slowly driving her spare.

Every time a sharp noise occurred (which Nikoru noticed was quite often in such a crazed school), every time something fell onto the ground with a dull thud that seemed to reverberate and echo in Nikoru's ears, Nikoru jumped up several feet.

In short, she was becoming paranoid.

And like most things she did, she had a plausible reason for it, too. Her duty was to protect Tsuna from danger, meaning that during the hours students were required, something was going to pop up unexpectedly – and, knowing Majo, it was most likely something startling – and attack Tsuna head-on. So Nikoru was on her guard and ready for anything.

Her best friend (who was so like her in many ways and yet at the same time different), meanwhile, was chewing gum. Loudly and very openly. Like a cow with an ill mind, as a matter of fact.

Yuri had no idea of what the Trial would include, nor did she really care. She only knew the basic facts: someone would come to harm Tsuna, and she and Nikoru would have to protect him stealthily, much to Yuri's distaste.

All she had to do now was wait. And ask Nikoru for the scythe she promised to lend.

Or she could bolt out of class right now while Nezu-sensei's back was turned and sneak into Tensai Gakuen wearing her 'normal' façade and old uniform. With a curt and decisive nod, Yuri did just that.

Nikoru was so absorbed in her contemplation that she didn't notice her best friend leaving. Or the loud crashes she caused because of her stumbles.

oOoOo

Meanwhile, a figure cloaked in gray chuckled to himself quite sinisterly. Eyes glinting with determination, he fondly traced a finger over his gun and grinned from within the shadow cast over his facial features thanks to his hooded-sweatshirt.

It was time to put the plan into action.

The agent in place unhurriedly sauntered toward the back doors of Namimori Middle School, figuring that the rarely-used backdoor was the safest place to enter rather than the front gate which was in plain sight. After all, he had heard of the feared prefect that was more like the dictator of the school - and the individual preferred his mission to be completed swiftly and without and trouble.

He nimbly opened the double doors so that only a narrow gap was created. The man wasn't exactly the thinnest person on Earth, but he could manage through without any hassle.

His subtlety was thrown out the window, however, as he stumbled and collided with the polished tiles. He sighed aloud and massaged his head, grumbling about how a bruise was sure to form.

The individual dressed in dull tones agilely dashed toward the stairs ascending to the second floor. When he arrived at the destination where his target was sure to be located, he placed his hand onto the handle and slowly slid the door open.

With one hand supporting his weapon, the man entered classroom 2-A.

Sawada Tsunayoshi wouldn't know what hit him.

That is, he didn't know what _could _have hit him.

Before Yuri could dash down the stairwell that led to the ground floor, she ran into one of Hibari's sheep- er, prefects. Now, normally this wouldn't pose as problem. Ordinarily, Hibari's subordinates cleared a path for her, either because they feared her due to the fact that she was stronger than them or because she was friends with Hibari - and that generally wasn't something good. The others avoided her as a result of her irritating non-stop chatter.

But the prefect she had run into, however, was Kusakabe. Hibari's most reliable underling, his top manservant, his-

"Yuri-san, what are you doing out of class?" Kusakabe asked, unknowingly jolting Yuri out of her rather rude name-calling.

Yuri stared at him. "Call me 'Yuri-sama'," she ordered bluntly.

"No," Kusakabe answered with equal bluntness.

"Tch." It appeared as though Kusakabe was one of the rare few who didn't answer to her every beck and call. Yuri frowned. She needed to polish her manipulation skills.

It took a few seconds for her to recall that Kusakabe had asked a question. Blinking slowly, she said, "Well, Nezu-sensei is the most incompetent teacher I've ever had - and that's saying something - and all he does is rant about how tests are imperative." And before he could counter or reprimand her, Yuri was gone.

However, being the directionally-challenged person she was, Yuri had somehow managed to return classroom 2-A right after she descended the stairs. Seriously - how was that even _possible_? A small part of her mind groundlessly blamed Majo.

Gritting her teeth in order to remain calm, Yuri almost didn't hear the distinct thud of a body as it slammed against the immaculate fall. After all, she had had enough experience of stumbles and falls to know what it sounded - and felt - like.

She instinctively turned to peek at the victim of those nasty invincible rocks, so that she could assess whether they were an obnoxious adolescent or an innocent individual. If it were the latter, then she would, of course, lend them a hand and question their physical well-being.

However, if it were the former, then she would turn away; depending on the level of arrogance, that is. If it was one of those twits she despised, then… It was best left unsaid.

Nonetheless, what Yuri found when she whirled around was neither an obnoxious adolescent nor an innocent individual. It wasn't even a teenager. It was a man. And she could tell from his tight sweatshirt that this man was quite fit. Upon further inspection, his biceps were rather sturdy.

For a moment, Yuri pondered on why he would wear such a tight article of clothing when he seemed to be infiltrating a school - and that required stealth, considering this town kneeled down on its knees to Hibari.

Whoa, where did that thought come from? Yuri blinked. Why would she suspect - let alone assume - that this unknown man was here to break into Namimori Middle School?

Before she could question herself further on this, Yuri dived behind a set of lockers (that were oh-so conveniently placed there) intuitively as the man began to rise somewhat unsteadily. She didn't know why she did it, but something seemed…off.

Concluding that her intuition was normally correct, Yuri stealthily followed the man, all the while humming softly to the _Mission Impossible _theme. But Yuri needed to name him…something that described what he looked like at first glance - but it also had to be something completely degrading and amusing. That was how Kuraihana Yuri rolled, after all.

This man was wearing gray and seemed to be intruding… That was it! She would call him, Man-Man! Well, Yuri shrugged, it was better than something Nikoru would come with it - she would probably suggest Grey, or something laughable such as that.

Yuri watched with strained eyes (she really shouldn't have stayed up last night playing Sudoku and Naruto: Ninja Council on her Nintendo DS last night) as Man-Man latched onto the iron handle of the door and yanked it out viciously.

He held up his gun toward the stunned class. Yuri tensed. Realization hit her like a tonfa. They were in front of classroom 2-A.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi," Man-Man said, his voice muffled, "prepare to die."

Yuri charged towards Man-Man like a bullet; which was ironic, really, considering the current situation.

"Die from embarrassment, that is!"

Yuri skidded to a stop. What? Did she hear right? Die from…embarrassment?

"EHHHHHHHHHHHH?" screeched Tsuna as Man-Man pulled the trigger to his…paintball gun?

Yuri, mastering her agitation so that it wouldn't seep through and show on her face - though the twitch developing under her left eye ruined the effect somewhat - stalker behind Man-Man and swiftly pulled her leg back to kick him in the crotch.

Before Man-Man sunk to his knees in horrible, horrible pain, Yuri sent all her anger into her clenched fist and slammed it against his head. He quickly fell unconscious.

"AN EFFING PAINTBALL GUN? SERIOUSLY? _**THIS **_WAS OUR TRIAL?" she roared, with cringe-worthy rage.

"Trial…?" Nikoru asked bemusedly, as though everything but protecting Tsuna had vacated her mind. She was standing protectively in front of Tsuna, coincidentally blocking the boy's view of Man-Man. Nikoru's eyes bulged. "You mean _this_ was our Trial?" She produced a flat look. "Paintball gun? Really?"

Tsuna finally broke out of his astonished stupor. "Trial? You don't mean the Inheritance Trial? Why are Nikoru-san and Yuri participating in that?"

Nikoru silently cursed her big mouth as Yuri strolled forward to Tsuna. "This is all a dream…" she said in a mystical voice.

Even though she put an extremely convincing act, Tsuna still looked doubtful for some incomprehensible reason. Shrugging, Yuri simply knocked him out. Ah, it felt good to finally hit Tsuna. It was even better that Gokudera was at home due to a mysterious package that was sent to him by _someone_ (Yuri) that unexpectedly contained Nikoru's cooking (which, at first, seemed delicious and harmless, but was horrible and tasted like bile and Bianchi's Poison Cooking mixed together).

Yamamoto was also mysteriously called out of class to practice for baseball - Yuri had a sinking suspicion that that was Majo's fault - so no one had any inclination to stop her from physically harming Tsuna. Well, except Nikoru, but she was still frozen in place after hearing Man-Man was the attacker and the paintball gun was his weapon.

"Now, let's see who Man-Man really is…" Yuri said as she headed for Man-Man.

Nikoru mouthed, 'Man-Man?' in total bewilderment. She then gasped audibly as 'Man-Man's hood was revealed.

Yuri pulled a face. Really? Really. This bumbling idiot was working for Majo?

Damned Bronco.

oOoOo

Damn Majo. Damn Dino. Damn Primo! Yuri released a growl of frustration as she continued to punch the sandbag from within the Boxing Club's...club. Well, room.

Nikoru peered up from her daydreams, absentmindedly petting the purring (Minimized) Blue. She and Yuri had cut class, saying that they were to give Dino to Hibari (which they did) and then decided not to return to class, seeing how it was probably dismissed due to the sudden intruder.

"Did we at least pass our-" Nikoru coughed lightly, "-Trial?"

Yuri smirked at Nikoru's rather blatant contempt. "We have. Haven't we, Majo, Primo?"

"Yes, you have."

"Yep!"

Vongola Primo entered in a burst of orange flames while Majo appeared by his side with nary a sound. The former smiled calmly while the latter grin slightly, mischief coloring her eyes.

A growl was heard by the occupants of the room, and it took Yuri awhile to realize that it was coming from her. Majo's grin turned sheepish.

"Oh hey, Nikoru," Yuri said coldly, "it's the witch we love dearly and the man who somehow looks younger every time we see him."

Nikoru, out of politeness toward the two aforementioned adults, attempted to force her lips from twitching up.

The founding Boss of the Vongola blithely ignored Yuri. "Since there is no First Generation Moon Guardian," Primo began, interrupting Yuri's glare, "you are unable to inherit the powers required."

"However," Majo continued, "in return, we'll grant you each a favor."

Yuri pulled a face as Nikoru grimaced. "Another wish?" spat Yuri. "Really?"

Majo grinned sheepishly once more. "Well…we couldn't think of anything, so we're letting you decided on what you want."

"To go home."

All eyes were instantly on Yuri. Majo was openly gaping. Primo, seeing how he didn't know exactly _all_ the details of Yuri and Nikoru's adventure (he was only summoned several days ago, as a matter of fact), merely gazed at Yuri because everyone else seemed to. Nikoru's honey eyes reflected shock.

Naturally, due to Yuri's influence, the first thing Nikoru blurted was something…random. "But you said you were going to join the Varia!" she gasped, as though it were a horrid crime for one to back on their word. "And give Squalo a shark!" she added as an afterthought.

Yuri smirked. "Yeah, that's true. But it would be a pain since I won't be able to see Shoichi. Oh, and I'm pretty sure the Varia wouldn't allow you to enter, too." She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "And taking missions to kill and torture people is such a drag," she groaned, as if she was suffering from a painful illness.

Nikoru rolled her eyes at the shallow reason. Of course Yuri would take no notice of the fact that it included possibly killing innocents.

Majo was still gaping. "Are you kidding me?" she shrieked, causing Primo to flinch slightly, seeing how he was standing (floating) so close to her. "I give you a once-in-a-_lifetime_ chance, AND YOU'RE THROWING IT AWAY JUST LIKE THAT?"

Yuri could feel the familiar pull of her lips that soon formed into an amused smirk. Petty as it may be, Yuri saw Majo's obvious vexation at Yuri's nonchalant action as a form of revenge. Yuri blithely ignored that it was petty.

"Well," she said slowly, relishing Majo's anger, "I'm feeling just a bit homesick," she admitted. Her eyes were no longer shining with glee; they softened. "I won't ever see these people again, but I miss home…" she trailed off sadly. Yuri blinked abruptly, her head shooting up as an idea hit her. "Wait, I have a better wish!" she cried brightly.

Nikoru shook her head at her friend's 180. "What?" she inquired wearily.

Yuri grinned. "I want my Box Weapons to be alive!"

"What?" This time, Nikoru was confused. "What?" she repeated, unable to decipher what was going through Yuri's admittedly odd mind.

Majo shared Nikoru's confusion. "What?" she echoed.

Yuri rolled her eyes, annoyed. She pursed her lips and waited, just in case Primo wanted to add in his two cents. Finally, she said, "Well, Box Weapons run on Flames, so technically they don't live. And they're troublesome to keep out because they drain your energy. Uncool."

Nikoru narrowed her eyes. "You just want things to be easier for you, huh?" When Yuri avoided eye-contact, Nikoru knew for sure that she hit the mark with her assumption. "Since Blue already is alive," Nikoru began, allowing herself a smile as Yuri jerked at the mention of her feline companion, "although technically not a Box Weapon, I guess I have to make a different wish."

She didn't need to turn around to see the hopeful, pleading glimmer in Yuri's eyes, for she could practically _feel_ the anticipation radiating from her. Besides, Nikoru wanted to return home, too. She smiled brightly. "Let's go home."

"Awesome!" chirped Yuri, as Majo and Primo exchanged curt nods and vanished. Yuri grabbed Nikoru's wrist. "Let's go!"

Nikoru tilted her head to the side, not even bothering to resist against Yuri's pull. "Where are we going?"

Yuri smirked, though Nikoru couldn't see it. "To piss off Daemon Spade!"

oOoOo

"So, Mukuro," Yuri said with a smirk, "how's life?"

Mukuro shot her a dirty look. "Splendid," he said, the sarcasm practically gushing out of his mouth. "Oh yes, being trapped with no way of communication to the outside world is great fun."

Yuri blinked innocently. "Really?" She was rewarded with a bruise on her head. As she rubbed the bump that was sure to form, Yuri muttered, "You know, you could always just use my body. Idiot."

Mukuro stared blankly. Apparently, he hadn't thought of that. "I'd…rather not use your body, because who knows if you'll ever let me live it down," he replied with a pleasant smile, the smile that annoyed Yuri to no end.

"Sure, sure," Yuri said sceptically. She suddenly snapped her head up and stared unseeingly into the late afternoon sky her mindscape conjured up. "Well, I have to go. Seems like Nikoru's calling me. See ya, perverted-pineapple." She grinned and faded away before Mukuro could strike her for the insulting nickname she dubbed onto him.

Instantly, her ears were bombarded with sobbing. Yuri bet that it was Chrome who was sobbing pathetically. She sneered. How weak.

Nikoru, noticing the way Yuri's lip curled at sight of Chrome, absentmindedly pinched her friend's cheeks in silent admonishment. Yuri pouted.

Eventually, Nikoru left to kneel in front of the couch where Chrome sat, and joined the girls in comforting and assuring the Mist Guardian that everything was alright.

Yuri, however, had no intention of comforting the weak (in her opinion) girl. Instead, she sat before the food Kyoko and Haru had graciously made, and dug in. Even she had to admit - albeit somewhat grudgingly - that the food wasn't half-bad.

"Yuri!" cried Tsuna. "You shouldn't be eating right now!"

Yuri stared at him coldly, continuing to chew on her rice ball. Once she swallowed, she huffed, as though amused. She smirked cruelly, enjoying the fact that everyone seemed taken aback - they really shouldn't have, seeing how she had already revealed her nasty self back in the Future. Maybe they were hoping that the beating she received from Kikyo shed a new light onto her. Hah.

"And what should I be doing, Tsuna-_kun_?" she asked, condescending entertainment tainting her tone. She seriously didn't need his stupidity right; she had already received her day's fill thanks to Dino and Majo.

Tsuna swallowed nervously, but then steeled himself. It wasn't the time to be acting like a coward! He had to man up and give Yuri a piece of his mind. "You should be helping Kyoko-chan and the other girls with Chrome! This concerns you, too!" he said hotly, scowling with determination.

"Oh?" Yuri chuckled softly. "How so?"

Tsuna found himself faltering. "Because…because in order for our world to be saved, we need to defeat Byakuran. And in order to defeat Byakuran, we need to pull our powers together!"

Yuri continued to stare. "Foolish boy. You do realize that I'm not even a Guardian, correct?" She was answered by stupefied silence.

"Besides," she continued coldly, "why would I willingly console that weak girl? It's disgusting how weak she is. I wonder why Mukuro even bothers with her. It's a disgrace, really, to the female population that entwine with the mafia."

"Ah, I've lost my appetite," declared Yuri, and instantaneously, the tension in the air lifted. Despite her words, Yuri snagged several more snacks before leaving.

"That girl has issues," Nikoru said bluntly. Chrome's loud sniffle punctuated that statement.

Well, at least Yuri's influence made Tsuna's backbone to appear (partially).

Munching furiously at the cracker in her hand, Yuri stormed out of the run-down Kokuyo Health Land with an infuriated scowl. "Stupid Tsuna and his blatant idiocy. I hope the Vongola ends up getting destroyed due to their Boss' incompetency."

"My, my, you have quite the temper," a voice observed, laughter coloring his tone.

Yuri twitched and jerked to a stop. It was the man with his weird orgasm-like speech-impediment. Could her day get any worse? She was in no mood to piss him off at the moment, thanks to one pathetic boy.

"What do you want?" she asked rudely.

"Your body," Daemon Spade replied casually.

Yuri's eyes widened. "Pedophile?"

She barely had time to run or attack, for Daemon reached out to her. And then the world went black.

* * *

**Author's rant:** Shit. I just realized I subconsciously made a cliff-hanger. Oh well, LOL. Thanks for pointing that out 197th reviewed who has no name which is really inconvenient! :D

_Almost 200 reviews! AMAZING~! THANKS, YOU GUYS! _

Yeah, sorry it's so short. Ugh, only 3000 words? My minimum is 4000. Not like I'm bragging or anything...

So, you guys know any good books to read? :D

_Published date: _22-01-11


	27. Enter: Orgasm Man

**Author's note: **Oops. I just realized that whenever I write about Haru (which is pretty rare, actually), I forget to add in her speech-impediment, 'desu'. LOL. Well, it's probably because it was so annoying I unconsciously omitted it. Heehee. :3

Um, did anyone actually notice? You did? THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? ROFL. Nah, it's alright. xD

Hay guys, I'm losing my interest in KHR. Maybe it's because there aren't gonna be any more episodes for awhile, but I don't know. Or maybe it's 'cause there aren't many good fics here that aren't yaoi or stupid. Hell, I just stopped reading one of the KHR fics I used to love. But now…I don't know. It just seemed so…bleh. So plain, menial, plot-less. Sigh.

Hopefully, I'll get rid of this Writer's Block soon. Maybe.

* * *

Chapter 26

_Enter: Orgasm Man_

Nikoru halted in her - albeit rather vain - attempts in coaxing 'Chrome' (Daemon) to take one bite of a rice ball, and looked up as a white Siberian tiger cub with blue eyes galloped towards her. She was inwardly relieved that she had left her Blue with Irie, and instead kept Future!Blue with her at all times; Future!Blue had powers to protect, whereas Present!Blue was quite normal in response.

Blue leaped into Nikoru's patient arms and explained to her, through growls, how Yuri was taken by a circus ringmaster. Nikoru smiled slightly at Blue's misinformation. However, she wasn't surprised whatsoever at the trouble Yuri landed herself into - she had that horrible bad luck, after all.

Nikoru smiled softly and thanked Blue for his hard work and snuck a piece of meat from the bento Kyoko, Haru, and I-pin had made. Blue purred quietly before hiding himself in usual place (Nikoru's hood).

So, what should she do? Should she allow herself to be kidnapped along with the other girls? Or fight alongside Tsuna and the guys? Nikoru grimaced. This anime seriously was sexist. Damn Yuri for opening her mind…

Rubbing the back of her head, Nikoru attempted to recall what happened in this episode. She hadn't watched it in a long time, so her memory was a bit fuzzy, but at least it was in better condition compared to Yuri's, who couldn't even remember what she had for dinner the night before.

She remember something about a lack of oxygen, and being taken hostage so that Tsuna and his Guardians could be drawn into the building like a group of headless lizards, all so that Daemon could turn the Vongola into the ultimate Family. Well, it looked like she had to go through her iPod and re-watch certain scenes.

With a sigh, Nikoru brought forth the aforementioned device and skimmed through certain episodes. If only she had Yuri's magic laptop, then Nikoru could summon several oxygen masks. Damn it, Yuri.

Nikoru's Yuri-cursing session was abruptly shattered when a bone-chilling feeling occurred. She shivered at how the room seemed to drop several degrees and knew, almost instantly, that Daemon Spade was about to appear. The eerie purple mist probably helped, too. And so did the echoing footsteps.

Seriously, didn't Daemon understand the meaning of 'stealthy'? Then again, he probably didn't have a need for stealth, seeing how he was planning to expose himself sooner or later.

Nikoru's train of thought zoomed away from her grasp as the Haru and Kyoko screamed. She winced at the impossibly high-pitched noise. Honestly, did they _have_ to scream?

Yuri was right, they really **were **that weak. Or the girls had a phobia of circus ringmasters. Whichever.

oOoOo

Yuri stared at the dark abyss surrounding her body. Though the was no visible ground or solid, Yuri was sitting amidst the darkness. It wasn't cold or hot. It wasn't filled with life, either. It was merely…empty.

"Where the fuck am I?" she asked aloud, deeply irritated. When Yuri didn't understand the situation, and had no knowledge of what to do, Yuri was pissed. And when Yuri was pissed, she swore. Vulgarly.

Surprisingly, she received an answer. "In your mind."

Yuri frowned. "Really? 'Cause last time I checked, my mindscape was of my favourite time of day where it's late afternoon and before evening, with trees and green grass that reflect the soft, golden sunlight that pierce through the fluffy cloud of the gentle blue sky." She truly was a girl at heart, after all.

"I never said we were in your mindscape, just in a part of your mind," the echoing voice snapped. "In a secluded part of your mind, that is." Yuri could practically hear the smirk in his voice-for the tone was too deep for a woman. "Think of it as a cage, except that you are unaware of the location of the bars and lock. Not that there are any."

Yuri was still vexed, but at least she knew what was going on. Immensely relieved, Yuri decided to piss off the owner of the voice until he showed himself. She forced her smirk down into a disapproving frown. "I don't like the tone in your voice, mister," she reprimanded childishly.

"And I don't like your attitude," retorted the voice calmly.

Yuri hugged her knees to her chest in an attempt to preserve the nonexistent heat in her body. Damn it, it didn't work. Her eyebrows crinkled into a frown - or, as she liked to call it, a brow-frown. It even rhymed!

"Wait," she said suddenly. "Why am I here? I mean, shouldn't you be ranting about your ideal Vongola Family setup to Tsuna and his gang of idiots?"

Daemon chuckled as he emerged before Yuri. "How did you know it was me?"

"Oh, please," Yuri scoffed. "You were the last one I saw before I blacked out and came to here. You even admitted you wanted my body." She stopped there to grumble several choice words. Daemon caught a few such as 'pedophile', 'just like Mukuro', and 'violated'.

"It was completely obvious, especially since you didn't even bother to mask your voice. Don't group me with Tsuna and his moronic Guardians; I'm much more superior." Yuri sniffed haughtily.

Daemon chuckled aloud. "You and I are more alike than you know."

Yuri scrunched up her nose, destroying her conceited demeanour. "Are you saying I'm a pedophile, too?"

Daemon dutifully ignored that. "You're here because you interest me. Your animosity toward Sawada Tsunayoshi and his Guardians are far from obscure. You tend to display it more often than most are comfortable with. And now, I'm here to test you."

"But…" Yuri paused. "I'm not even a Guardian." She was uncertain if Daemon was aware of that little fact. If he did know, then, well, she had to take the test. If he didn't, then…who knows what he would do to her.

"Liar," he accused blankly. Yuri was unsure of what to feel. "The test will help me decipher whether you are strong," he paused theatrically, "or weak."

Yuri rolled her eyes. This was becoming too dramatic for her. To shut the power-hungry man up, she said, "Fine. Let's get this show on the road."

Daemon grinned - he actually _grinned_ - and disappeared.

Yuri scowled. "I hate tests."

oOoOo

Nikoru coughed delicately into her hand as the oxygen levels gradually dissipated. Primo and his Guardians were so negligent! Tsuna and the others were barely teenagers (they seemed to act more like children or preteens), and yet the First Generation Family placed all the responsibility onto them. What if they didn't defeat Daemon in time and the girls - including the ever-important Sky Arcobaleno - died due to the lack of oxygen?

Nikoru's head shot up as an idea hit her. Yuri should totally write a fic about that. A 'what if…?' sort of fic. Nikoru shook her head to clear out the trivial thoughts. She sighed heavily through the fic atmosphere. Her lungs screamed "Air! Need air!" but she had to take small, shallow breaths in order to restrain the usage - in the series the girls remained fine, but Nikoru was an extra.

She scowled in determination. She would not be a damsel in distress, lest Yuri rant about Mary Sues and Yamato Nadeshikos once more. Ugh, Yuri really couldn't shut up unless she got everything out of her system.

Nikoru traced her hand around the interior of the dome composed of segments of Mist Flames. She frowned in confusion. If the Mist Flames were thin and long, then how was there a perfect - if invisible - dome? Or maybe the dome wasn't composed of Flames at all, maybe that, along with the indigo mist, was sucking up the oxygen.

Nikoru had a plan. In order to return the amount of oxygen back to normal, she had to get rid of the mist. She could use Blue's latest power (Defense Mode: Version 2) to drill a hole into the side of the dome?

No. Blue only had defensive powers; ergo he was unable to switch from defensive to offensive. But wait - Nikoru had a scythe! An offensive weapon. The girl grinned as she searched for her white Box Weapon with a rose atop. However, her grin vanished as she realized that her scythe wasn't in her possession - she had given it to Yuri, as promised.

Slumping down to her knees in defeat, Nikoru inwardly cursed Yuri. Somehow, the latter's misfortune had bestowed onto the former.

Yippee.

oOoOo

Yuri stared at the figure before her. So, this was Daemon's test? Well, he did mention that he wanted to observe how strong she was, Yuri mused. She initially assumed that he only meant physical-wise, but then again, they _were_ in her mind as well, so it was only sensible that the test included psychological ordeals, too.

Sasagawa Kyoko smiled in response. Daemon was attempting to use the psychological advantage to scare Yuri so badly that she was unable to fight, or do anything, really.

"Seriously?" Yuri asked 'Kyoko' in a voice laden with incredulity. Well, at least she wouldn't have to fight a dulled version of herself like Tsuna and the others did.

'Kyoko' - which was actually Daemon in the form of the irritatingly-flawless girl - chuckled in a voice that was unnaturally deep for a fourteen-year-old girl. "Your first challenge is to admit that you're jealous of this girl and therefore shed contempt for her," said Daemon.

Yuri inhaled sharply and drew back as though she had been slapped. "What?" she croaked out, too stunned to speak properly. She swallowed audibly, and took several breaths to calm herself down.

She had to overcome this obstacle! Yuri clenched her fists in fortitudinous. If she didn't, then Daemon would have won, and her pride would forever be tarnished. However, if she _did_ say those words to Kyoko's face - disregarding the fact that it wasn't even her - her pride would **still** be sullied.

Yuri sighed. No one would ever find out, right? And, surely, even if Daemon held this over her head (which would be incredibly immature and unbefitting of a character such as his'), she could simply deny it and/or tease his…odd…speech impediment. Oh, and Nikoru and the girls would be suffering from lack of air while she hesitated. That, too.

She tore her pained azure eyes to meet the expectant caramel ones. "Y-You're so perfect, K-K-Kyoko-san. I envy your…flawless…personality so much that it has morphed into fierce hatred. You're the nicest girl in the world, and I'm," she paused to swallow thickly, "s…sorry." It took all of Yuri's willpower to keep from sobbing in agony and gagging simultaneously then and there.

Daemon smiled as he returned to his normal appearance. "Well done," he praised. Bastard. "Now to face your biggest fear," and with that, he disappeared.

Yuri screamed bloody murder as hundreds of soulless, unblinking, smiling dolls swarmed towards her. Shit.

oOoOo

Nikoru scowled in anger, hoping that just by glaring at the insufferable dome it would shatter into hundreds of pieces. Unfortunately, the world didn't work that way. So, she then proceeded to sit cross-legged directly before the invisible prison and abruptly slammed her head at the solid surface.

Though she heard shocked gasps behind her, Nikoru paid it no mind as she rubbed her forehead, as though the pain would fade away by performing that action.

"Nikoru-chan!" cried Haru. "What are you doing, desu?"

Nikoru looked over her shoulder. "Trying to break free, just like you did." Haru had attempted to break the inanimate dome merely by striking it with sloppy punches. For someone who had no training whatsoever, it was needless to say that her effort was futile.

Kyoko frowned in worry. "But you could seriously injure yourself."

Nikoru smiled, grateful for Kyoko's concern. "Don't worry. At most, I'll receive a concussion. At the very least, I could lose some brain-cells." Not 'could', she mumbled silently, more like 'would'. She would lose her brain-cells by constantly banging her cranium.

Yuni approached Nikoru and placed a small hand on the latter's shoulder. "Nikoru-san, please don't harm yourself; I'm sure Sawada-san and his Guardians will come to our rescue," she assured gently with a smile.

Nikoru pouted. "But…I don't want to sit here and do nothing. I'm sick of playing the damsel in distress - it's time I fight back." And I really don't want to face Yuri when she learns of my Mary Sue-ness. Of course, the last part went unsaid (out loud, at least).

Yuni smiled sympathetically. She had been in the mafia business with a whole Family to oversee, after all. "I understand. Well, do try to retrain from damaging any vital organs, then," she joked.

Nikoru giggled softly at Yuni's ironic behaviour. Yuni's smile grew, and returned to check on the comatose Chrome.

Even though the girl from the Future had explained to the non-combatant girls that Nikoru was fine, Haru remained concerned.

"Nikoru-chan, doesn't it hurt?" Haru asked in a rather ineffective attempt to halt Nikoru's actions.

However, Nikoru grinned somewhat guiltily. What was she to be feeling guilty of? Nikoru's grin spread so far that she had to close her eyes. "I'm actually a masochist."

Well, a sadistic masochist, at any rate.

oOoOo

Yuri hyperventilated. Her ears waited impatiently for the tell-tale _clop-clop_ of wooden or plastic feet. Her eyes strained through the unending abyss for the glassy eyes and emotionless faces.

Finally, she let her guard down. Just as her shoulders slouched in relief, she felt something pulling on the back of her shirt as though using it to climb up. Yuri immediately screamed - for the fourteenth time in that hour (her throat was horribly sore by now) - and flung the Barbie doll to the ground. She adopted a crazed gleam in her eyes as she constantly stomped on the doll. Even with its body mangled and hair dishevelled, the Barbie doll was still wearing its eerie smile.

Damn Daemon. The second hardship in which Yuri had just completed was a combination of psychological and physical strength. She had to face the hair-raising humanoid dolls (psychological) and completely crush them in order so that they could rise again (physical).

One may think that fighting dolls wasn't difficult - laughable, even. However, dolls weren't like humans just because they had the same form; dolls didn't need to breathe, nor did they have any internal organs or have a need for them. They were absolutely difficult to kill. And since she had no way to create a fire or even summon it (due to the fact that she wasn't in her mindscape and it only worked then and there), she simply had to resort to brute force. Dolls weren't all that powerful, but they sure were tenacious and resilient.

Then again, pummelling the dolls was somewhat therapeutic.

Yuri had, in total, completed three tests: two that assessed her mental strength and one that gauged her power. That meant only one thing. She had another physical test to go. Yay…!

It seemed that creativity wasn't a trait found in most Mafioso, for Daemon decided to make Yuri fight him in order for her to pass the horribly long and rather mundane test. After all, she could be watching anime instead - or saving Nikoru, whichever.

Needless to say, Yuri was rather apathetic once Daemon had finished his theatric monologue. Was he seriously expecting a fourteen - or was she thirteen? Yuri really couldn't remember - year old girl going up against a very, very old man (despite his appearance and agility) who had far more experience in combat? Not to mention that he had been the Mist Guardian for two Generations in a row. Ugh.

But, she was Kuraihana Yuri - she would find a way. Even if said way was a very cheap shot to the man's most vulnerable weak spot. So, several minutes into the battle where Daemon attempted to draw Yuri's blood while the latter activated her Tekkai and strengthened her muscles, Yuri saw an opening an took advantage of it and advanced quickly.

It might have been the fact that Daemon Spade was rather adept in prideful battles and only looked out for his internal organs and throat (where the windpipe was). It also might have been that Daemon Spade had never fought an opponent who didn't have the honour of a fighter. Whatever it was, he certainly didn't take into account that Yuri would aim a kick to his reproductive organ.

Yes, it was a low blow. Literally. But that was how she rolled. And it was very, very, _**very **_effective. …Very.

Yuri giggled as Daemon sunk to his knees and winced ever-so slightly. Maybe it was a little over the top to maintain her Tekkai as she kicked him. Oh well. At least she didn't have to worry about him being a pedophile anymore.

"You…have passed," Daemon said reluctantly, his teeth clenched in evident odium. Before Yuri could smirk triumphantly, Daemon seemed to beat her to it. "However, it is now time for you to be useful to me."

Yuri blinked slowly. "Huh? What do you want me to do?" she asked, pleased to note that she had been able to hide the slight quaver of fear in her voice.

Daemon's smirk grew as he recited a clipped version of his plan.

oOoOo

Nikoru smiled gratefully as she gave a quick hug to Chrome. While the girl blushed, Nikoru inwardly decided to convince Yuri to stop sneering at Chrome and tossing insults toward her. Honestly, the girl wasn't useless! At least, not _completely_. Either way, getting Yuri to back off somewhat was a task Nikoru promised to achieve in the near future.

She stiffened abruptly. Crud, what happened to Yuri? Before she could voice out her question, however, Blue released a low growl. Ah. Right. Daemon was here. Nikoru smiled, embarrassed. Honestly, how could she completely forget about him? She supposed he slipped under her radar… But as long as she wished to live, Nikoru would never voice that little fact aloud.

Daemon smirked, and Nikoru fought to breathe a sigh of relief - he hadn't noticed her little slip-up. "It appears that I have to become serious, too," he said mysteriously.

"What?" gasped Tsuna. But before anyone could move, Daemon vanished.

Nikoru's brow frowned, imitating her lips. In the original story, he didn't leave. She slapped her face and emitted a groan, receiving several confused looks in the process. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Yuri…was going to be possessed, huh? Damn it. It was just like Mukuro all over again.

Sure, Nikoru was worried for her friend's safety, but it was Yuri; and Yuri always got out of sticky situations. She was scary - or 'awesome', as Yuri remarked sometime before - like that.

"What's wrong, Nikoru-chan?" inquired Kyoko.

"You should be glad that that horrid man is gone, desu," Haru supplied.

Instead of answering, though, Nikoru blinked. Did…did these girls always talk after one another? Oh. Okay, then. Nikoru smiled slightly. "Umm…I don't think he's really gone, Kyoko-chan," she said patiently. "I mean, why would he go through all this trouble just to give up because his plan was hindered slightly?"

The two girls' eyes lit up in understanding, and then were smothered with worry. Nikoru felt somewhat bad about shooting down their hopes and crushing their relief, but it was the truth.

Tsuna inhaled and exhaled calmly. Nikoru was right. Daemon wasn't truly gone. There was just no logical explanation as to why he suddenly ran away. Unless he had seen how awful he saw the ideal Vongola Family… No. Tsuna shook his head slightly, and willed himself to keep his Flame alight. Not all people were pure. Some had dark hearts, but were able to be purified. And a staggering amount were completely immersed in evil that they couldn't be saved. Was Yuri allotted to that category?

The door to their right of the room squeaked open loudly, and everyone flinched at the deafening sound which echoed throughout the silent room. Audible footsteps resounded.

Hibari adjusted the position of his tonfas silently. Yamamoto shifted his stance into defensive with a sharp _ping_ of his katana. Gokudera brought out his Box, scowling. Reborn called Leon forth calmly. Ryohei pulled his fists close to his face, ready to block and attack. Chrome steadied her breaths, and pulled herself up using her trident. Lambo sniffed loudly.

Nikoru stood perfectly still, petting the wary Maximized Blue absentmindedly. Would Yuri really be foolish enough to allow Daemon to take over her will? Nikoru gnawed on her lower lip. No. Though Yuri acted moronically at times, it didn't mean she was a _total_ idiot. Right?

Haru shifted uncomfortably. Despite the fact that her air supply had returned to its usual state, it was much more difficult to breathe normally. Was this why Tsuna had kept them in the dark for so long - so that they didn't have to undergo this unbearable apprehension and fear? Haru swallowed thickly, and hoped that it wasn't as loud as it seemed to be.

A familiar face popped into view with a grin. "Hey, girlfriends!" greeted Yuri.

* * *

**Author's rant: **Well, at least it wasn't a cliffhanger this time? :D Ugh, I'm so ill. FFS. ARGH, SCHOOL IS SO STRESSING! I HATE IT! I HATE YOU, 2011. Shit, has it really been two months since I last updated? Oops.

My laziness knows no limits. My rich uncle from Darwin or something just dropped by and is staying at my other rich uncle's house somewhere in Sydney. LOL. Anyway, he gave my blood-related siblings (I call them that because I don't count them as my family. My family is 8R! WOOT) $1000 each while I was at tutor. So, my greedy dad wants me to go to rich uncle #2's house tmrw to get my money. I was like, "But...I don't care about money." I seriously just wanted to spend all day in bed, reading and completing my assignment. ROFLMAO.

_**Stay strong, Libya.**_

_Published date: _04-03-11 (LOL, I accidentally put '04-04-11' originally. Woops. Thanks for that, _Rhemi_. xD ...It's the 3rd here. LOL.)


	28. Enter: Back to the Future

**Author's rant: **Why…? WHY ARE THERE SUCH SHITTY FICS OUT THERE? WHAT'S WITH YOUR GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY? YOU WRITE WORSE THAN I DID WHEN I WAS TWELVE - AND THAT SHIT WAS UNBEARABLE.

Seriously, though, it's a major piss-off.

To Hunger Games!

* * *

Chapter 27

_Enter: Back to the Future…Again (Finally!)_

Collectively, sighs of relief were released. No one noticed Yuri's dark smirk. Or if they did, they passed it off as nothing, for Yuri tended to grin evilly every now and then.

Yuri frowned when she noticed that Tsuna had remained in his Hyper Dying Will mode. What, he didn't trust her? "Why are you on alert, Tsuna? Daemon's gone, isn't he?" she asked with a playful smile.

Tsuna eyed her speculatively, his demeanour oddly calm. "Daemon's aura is still here…" he muttered.

Yuri's eyes narrowed, but then she laughed. "I didn't know you could sense auras, Tsuna."

Nikoru sighed. Whereas G was utterly terrible at acting as Gokudera, Daemon wasn't too bad. Except that he was acting as Yuri did before she smashed her metaphorical mask. Well, no one seemed to notice yet, so what did it matter?

Gokudera was approaching Tsuna, in order to bask him with compliments of how he had banished that Daemon with his admirable determination. Yuri frowned, her mind racing a mile a minute. Primo was sure to intervene sooner or later… She sighed lightly, and quickly put Tsuna into a headlock.

"What do you think you're doing?" barked Gokudera, moving forward to rescue his Boss.

Yuri chuckled menacingly, sending shivers down everyone's spines. The chuckle promised pain and despair to most, while to Nikoru it was merely eerie to hear a throaty voice emanate from a young girl's body.

As Daemon exposed his true identity, all the while bearing Yuri's body like a coat, Nikoru bit her nail in discomfort. She really didn't want to stand around and draw out this arc longer than it originally was. Yeah, she was hanging out with Yuri a bit too much.

Nikoru sighed. What she was about to was somewhat anti-climatic…okay, a lot anti-climatic, but the others wouldn't be cross with her, would they? If it was Yuri who was about to perform what Nikoru was soon going to, then they would be disgruntled, but… Well, it was worth a shot.

"Yuri," she began, stepping before the incapacitated Tsuna and in front of the fuming Gokudera, "you're such a Mary Sue."

Daemon scowled. He was anticipating the fight that was sure to break out due to his capture of the Tenth, and irritated that this girl had calmly wandered up before him.

"What?" he spat.

Suddenly, to the curiosity of many others, Daemon - or Yuri - paled noticeably. Yuri shook as her arms slackened their grip on Tsuna's hands and neck. Were those tears in her eyes?

"N-No…" she breathed, her eyes wide with fear. "I'm not a Sue!"

Nikoru refrained from rolling her eyes. Yuri was perhaps the most infuriatingly-confusing girl she knew. And horribly dramatic. "Yes, you are. You were: A) kidnapped by Mukuro-san and then possessed by him, which is what most OC girls do, or imagine whilst daydreaming," Nikoru stated informatively. "B) You brought freaking _lunch_ for Hibari-san, just like most OCs or Tsuna-in-a-yaoi-fic does."

She grimaced. "At one time, I was even afraid you were making Mukuro-san and Hibari-san fall for you, just like in those fanfics," admitted Nikoru, somewhat jumpy. "Frankly, I could list countless more, but it seems that you're back."

Yuri was busy inhaling and exhaling deeply to catch wind of the end of Nikoru's speech. No! She tried her best to not be a Sue! But in the end, by doing so, the result was the opposite of what she wished.

Nikoru frowned, utterly bemused. "I didn't mean for her to faint…"

She jumped back as a misty substance exited via Yuri's face, and flew toward the center of the room. Nikoru shuddered in disgust. Daemon was certainly skilled in sending shivers down others' spines.

The First Generation Mist Guardian sneered in disdain. "Useless girl," he scoffed, dusting his coat in order to prevent the infection Yuri obtained known as 'idiot-itus'.

To Nikoru's relief, Daemon's abrupt and dramatic appearance had stunned the others so much that they had partially forgotten about Yuri's fainting episode. Although, Nikoru had a suspicion that - if the canon-characters weren't so busy - she would have been bombarded with various questions; mostly ones that questioned their sanity.

Nikoru sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of her nose wearily. Whether she was comatose or not, Yuri was one troublesome girl.

oOoOo

Yuri glowered, arms crossed before her chest and her cheeks puffed. Impossible. It was downright inconceivable. Unfathomable! Kuraihana Yuri would _never_ faint. Unless, of course, it was due to a traumatizing event or immense pain - for all humans were programmed to fall unconscious once a certain amount of pain was endured. (Well, that was what a newspaper article had stated, at any rate.)

"Yuri, are you thinking about capsicums again?" asked Irie, an eyebrow raised incredulously.

Instead of answering, the girl huffed sulkily and turned away.

Presently, Yuri was visiting Irie in the clinic, where his small wounds were healing up quite well. Only several minutes had passed since they had left - which puzzled Yuri, for it seemed utterly impossible - and she instantly stomped off to see him. Irie always calmed her whenever she was vexed, after all.

Yuri finally gazed back at Irie. "_Fainting_," she began, spitting out the word as though it were a vile medicine, "is such a clichéd and weak thing to do."

Irie rolled his eyes, though he chuckled softly. He ruffled Yuri's hair slightly, causing the girl to perk up.

No longer irked by her momentary display of feebleness, Yuri delivered a vivid description of the events that had occurred during their trip to the Past, making sure that she left _nothing_ out.

By the end of her speech, Irie was left red-faced. Yuri honestly hadn't left anything out, much to the redhead's embarrassment.

With a large grin, Yuri left Irie gaping in his seat as she skipped towards dinner.

oOoOo

Rather than spending the admittedly limited amount of free time granted by reading books or consuming strawberries dipped in liquefied chocolate, Yuri purloined all of the food within the base. She rummaged through all the cupboards, cabinets, fridges, and basically anything that was employed to store food or drink.

No, she did not do all this so that everyone could starve and therefore make Byakuran's job easier. She accomplished this strenuous task (the base was a massive building, after all) in order to accomplish the opposite of what others would initially assume she would be doing.

Yuri was not completely certain, but did Tsuna and the others actually eat during the time they were remaining incognito from Byakuran and his troop? She had viewed those episodes so long ago, and it was during the period where she began to abhor the show.

Nonetheless, by packing up all the food before it could be destroyed by the lazy redhead whose name Yuri's mind misplaced, she would be able to keep them well-fed and energized.

And because wasting food was a horrible crime that Yuri wished to never commit. And also because Tsuna and his Guardians' deaths meant Yuri's demise, also. Then again, she could always join Byakuran… Nah.

"Are you going on a trip, Yuri-chan?" Kyoko asked politely.

Yuri blinked. What an odd question. "No."

Kyoko smiled, her curiosity diminishing. "Oh, okay," she said in acceptance.

Yuri turned to Nikoru, who was eating her breakfast at a quick pace. Strangely, there was only _just _enough food to satisfy everyone's hunger. What was even stranger, though, was that Yuri seemed to have no appetite whatsoever.

The girl coughed slightly at her traitorous thoughts. "Why does everyone keep eying me like I'm the weirdest person in the world?" she asked, her eyes on Nikoru.

Nikoru swallowed her small omelet. "That's because you are." She paused to gulp down a glass of water. "And you look like you're packing for a four-month vacation."

Yuri cocked her head to the side, much like a bird when gazing at a shiny object. What was that meant to mean? She had only packed all the food, her clothes, miscellaneous weapons that were found here and there (honestly, one would think people would be more cautious), and her books.

When she voiced this aloud to Nikoru, the latter fought the urge to scream. "Yuri, one wall of your bedroom is a shelf that contains all your books. All the food? Really?" She raised her brow in disbelief. Was Yuri seriously that much of a glutton? Her mind chose to omit the section about weapons.

Meanwhile, Yuri was having her own thoughts - mainly about Nikoru's attitude. She seemed…tense - fidgety - and her darted eyes about the room, its honey hue coated in paranoia. She seemed snappish, also. But her behaviour was built on reasonable grounds; today was the day when the Funeral Wreaths attacked, forcing the protagonists to escape and something something…

Before she voiced out her thoughts, however, the tell-tale explosion rang out, signalling dinosaur-man's entrance.

"Oops," muttered Yuri upon realizing that all the combatants and Yuni had disappeared.

With a soft growl, Nikoru dashed off, irritated at being left out.

Yuri sighed, deciding to leave before Squalo and dino-man's fight began and ended up destroying the base. With a pained and exaggerated grunt, Yuri managed to lift herself off of the stool and took small steps toward the exit. Maybe carrying a large backpack, several bulging suitcases, and a heavy side-bag that slapped her right thigh continuously wasn't exactly practical, especially when she was attempting to run at a moment's notice. Oh well.

She came to a halt several steps outside the kitchen. She was already perspiring. Okay, so her plan was not going to succeed. With an exasperated sigh, Yuri threw all her luggage down unceremoniously. (Coincidentally, a second explosion occurred at the same moment her bags touched the floor. Majo must have found that amusing.)

Yuri fished out her Death Note, which was basically a journal with helpful tips and advice. She flipped through the pages, focused on only locating something that could store heavy loads. Aha! Yuri grinned as her azure eyes pinpointed something _very_ helpful.

Wait, Harry Potter?

oOoOo

Nikoru coughed vehemently into the palm of her hand, her nose assaulted by various odors. There was - and this was the most obvious and potent one - smoke, burnt gravel, and… ugh, what was that? Oh, it was Squalo… Why did he smell like seafood and blood? On second thought, Nikoru would rather remain in the dark about that…

"Huh?" Tsuna cried in bewilderment. "Take Yuni and get out of here?" he repeated.

Nikoru flinched, at both the boisterous shouts and her revelation. Where _was_ Yuni? As Nikoru searched around frantically for the small girl (despite the fact that Yuni was half a metre away from her), everyone ran off, leaving her behind.

"Girl!" screamed Squalo. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Before Nikoru could reply in a panicked squeak, she noticed Zakuro shift slightly. Her eyes widened. "Watch out, Squalo-san!" She winced as Squalo whipped around at the last moment, shielding himself - and Nikoru in the meanwhile - from a jet of Storm Flames.

"Eep!" Nikoru jumped as something nudged her hip. Oh, it was just Blue. What? What was that? Oh, he wanted her to ride him and escape… Nikoru's eyes widened in realization and she quickly jumped onto Blue's sturdy back. With a discrete eye-roll at his partner's density, Blue galloped off at a hasty pace.

Tsuna surveyed his group. "We've managed to escape," he said, allowing himself to smile slightly. But then his smile dropped. "Where's Niko- AH!" Tsuna cried in shock as a body barreled into his back. Was it Zakuro? Did he somehow elude Squalo?

"Oops. Sorry, Tsuna-kun."

Never mind.

"Nikoru-san," Tsuna grunted as he attempted to sit back up, "please be more careful. You've been strangely clumsy lately…"

Nikoru smiled nervously as she proffered her hand toward Tsuna. "Stress does that to me," she confessed.

"What should we do, Tsuna?" asked Reborn from his perch on Yamamoto's shoulder.

As the conversation for a proper hiding place commenced, Nikoru fidgeted uneasily. Something felt…off. Something important. Oh, crap. What if it was something that played a massive part in the plot? If Nikoru couldn't remember, and the others noticed nothing, then maybe it was due to her influence and all of them might actually end up losing their lives! She knew how horrible interference was…and she almost killed Squalo because of it.

Nikoru began hyperventilating, something that she never wished to experience. Yuri had hyperventilated once, and it seemed painful. Not painful in the physical sense, but… It was indescribable. _(__**RANT TIME! YAY!**__ Seriously, guys, hyperventilation is NOT FUN. You can't breathe properly, and have to inhale and exhale deeply to return to your normal breathing pattern. Your heart beats so rapidly, like it's going to burst out of your chest. I hate it. And I hate the person for making me experience. Fucking deputy principal. Anyway, ignore this…)_

Ah. So that's what it was. Yuri was missing. Seemingly in spite of herself, Nikoru relaxed. Okay, a missing Yuri was not a good thing, but at least she knew that it was not anything vital.

Oh. She was a terrible friend, wasn't she?

Tsuna sighed lightly. A realtor? He was placing the lives of everyone into the metaphorical palms of a realtor? Well, it wasn't like there was any other plan, and Reborn seemed to approve…

"Alright," he agreed, though not without some reluctance, "let's go."

"Wait!" cried Nikoru, causing several others to flinch; they were too tense. "What about Yuri? She isn't here." Nikoru frowned, shooting a glance toward the base's disguised entrance.

Irie laughed softly, causing Nikoru peer curiously up at him. Irie hadn't been replaced with one of the Real Funeral Wreaths, had he? "I'm sure Yuri-san is fine," he assured her.

While Nikoru pondered on Irie's ominous statement, Tsuna's eyes widened. Had he actually forgotten about Yuri? Sure, she was somewhat… quite… Okay, she was horribly intolerable, but would he really be so uncaring as to ignore her existence entirely and allow her to die?

Reborn peered curiously at Tsuna, who was inwardly battling with himself. He then turned to Irie who seemed calm and relaxed despite the fact that his girlfriend was nowhere to be seen - Tsuna couldn't even sense her presence. Odd, concluded Reborn. But while his curiosity urged him to investigate further, he knew there were more pressing matters to attend to. Like Yuni.

The Sun Arcobaleno frowned before shaking his head, clearing the cobwebs of sorrow. "Let's go," he said firmly, the finality in his tone halting all - if any - protests.

And so, the group hastily proceeded.

Nikoru almost tripped over her own feet as she ran. Shouldn't several explosions be occurring within the base due to Squalo and Zakuro's battle…?

So that was what Yuri was doing.

oOoOo

…_and because Hermione was able to use that spell, the Golden Trio changed into casual clothing so as to not garner suspicion from Voldemort's followers._

"What _is_ this?" muttered an irritated Yuri. She had first read the article in blind hope of discovering a method to store all her luggage into something portable and effortless. However, it had turned out to be a summary of Hermione's use of the extension charm that took place in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Bob hissed. Like Cooro, Bob was now a living creature - thanks to Majo - and did not require any Dying Will Flames for it to remain outside of its Box. Still, if Yuri wished for her partners to battle, she needed to feed them Flames. Bob was presently in the form of a large cobra, guarding Yuri and warning her whenever something potentially dangerous occurred.

Yuri blinked, suddenly realizing that there were boisterous battle cries and cusses resounding from nearby. She slammed her Death Note shut, deciding to simply turn Bob into a sturdy bull and bestow the heavy baggage onto him. The process took only several seconds.

The exclamations became more audible as well as the potent stench of smoke and burnt rubble as Yuri rounded the corner.

Her nose crinkled in disdain. "Ugh, smells like burnt lizard." She shook her head to clear all thoughts, scowling with determination. Now was the time…to bring back her costume!

Superbi Squalo crashed against the floor with a loud _thud_. He managed to pull himself up on all-fours, and cringed as he coughed up excess saliva and blood. This wasn't good. How could he have underestimated the seemingly-apathetic redhead? Varia quality? As if.

"Hey, now," said Zakuro, the sneer evident in his voice. "Done already, idjit? Tch," he scoffed, "what a disappointment."

Squalo's head snapped up so sharply he was surprised that he didn't receive whiplash. He snarled up at Zakuro, a sight that had frightened many of his victims. A sight that was the final thing most people saw before they met their brutal and grotesque and deaths. A sight…that would have been more effective if Squalo was not down on the floor like a pitiful dog, struggling to achieve his normal breathing pattern.

The assassin's clothes were ruffled and smeared with dirt, blood, and other foul substances that he was uncertain of. None of his vital organs were in danger, though his left leg appeared to be fractured. He was horribly drained, so much so that he couldn't even lift himself up or adjust his position so that he would be more comfortable. Oddly enough, though, his hair was in perfect condition.

Zakuro made a sound in the back of his throat. The sight of Squalo was simply that pathetic. "Better make your death quick," he decided, for Zakuro knew that if he was in the Varia Rain Guardian's position, he would want his death to be swift.

Squalo's eyes widened at his enemy's remark. No! It'd be shameful to die like this! However, despite his mind's wish, his body could sustain no more. Was his resolve that fickle?

Yuri was watching this show from afar, having no plans to interfere. If this was what occurred in canon, then she should allow it to happen, right? Unless… She halted in her constant licking of her orange lollipop. Unless Nikoru had somehow disturbed the plot… Damn it! If only scenes of this battle were aired, then Yuri wouldn't be in such a demanding predicament!

She inhaled sharply as the dinosaur brought his blood-red arm down, ready to tear Squalo's head off of his shoulders.

Yuri glanced down at her outfit, and almost grinned at the irony. She rummaged through her small purse that remained by her side, and successfully obtained a number of smoke-bombs. Without any further ado, she threw them.

But as her bombs released themselves, she idly wondered why the shells were a murky green colour. Yuri's cerulean eyes, which were tinted with confusion, widened in comprehension. They weren't smoke-bombs. Yuri instantly brought forth nose plugs - one for bull-Bob, one for Squalo, and one for herself (she returned Cooro to his Box).

She really should stop forgetting which were smoke-bombs and which were fart-bombs.

Zakuro roared in a mixture of anger and disgust, and Yuri grinned, for she realized that once in his Carnage Box state, Zakuro's sense of smell was enhanced. Hm, fart-bombs were actually good for something other than for messing with Tsun- people.

She was silently grateful that her sense of smell was no longer enhanced (her feline abilities had worn off over time, but she was still able to morph into a cat), for she would also be hindered by her stunt.

Squalo's nose crinkled as the odor assaulted his nose. Great! Now he had to inhale this revolting stench several times before Death took him away? Eyes accumulating tears from the aroma, Squalo begged to whatever deity there was that he wouldn't begin a new set of coughs, for they were sure to worsen his already-poor condition.

But for now, he demanded to know who the culprit was. Sure, it distracted his enemy - and he was thankful for that - but it also affected him in a negative fashion.

"Voi!" he wheezed quietly. The fumes were finally dissipating. "Who did tha-? What the…?" Squalo trailed off, his eyes widening in utter incredulity.

Sailor Star?

* * *

**Author's rants:** Ugh, sorry for the late update! School has been busy, and the urge to commit murder has grown. Or move schools, but the former is much more convenient.

Anyway, GUESS WHO HAS A BOYFRIEND~~~~~? That's right! Nikoru! LOL JOKES. Nikoru only likes assholes. What? It's true!

Yeah, it's me. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.

OMG, SO OBSESSED OVER HUNGER GAMES! I HEARD THERE WAS A MOVIE COMING OUT, AND THE CAST FOR PEETA, KATNISS, AND GALE HAVE BEEN DECIDED! However, many disapprove of the actors… Oh well, we'll wait and see. But seriously, if the movie sucks, I'll go crazy.

So, anything exciting happen to you guys? How's the year been so far? Mine has been good and bad… Bad because of the assholes with authority at my school, and good because of my friends. :3 I'm honestly curious, though; this is NOT a hoax to get more reviews (I honestly don't care anymore, BECAUSE WE'VE REACHED TWO-HUNDRED, and I'm a hypocrite since I hardly review… -cough-)

_Published date: _08-04-11


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